Written in the Stars
by lady-demacabre
Summary: Hogwarts 1970s: seven years of Marauder pranks, Quidditch games, and teen love. Mina likes one of the three, will she learn to like the rest? SBOC, JPLE on the side. NOT a MarySue.
1. First Year

_This story is mostly Sirius/OC, but follows canon all the way to the end. I tried to make Mina's diary as accurate as I could to what she would have written at that age, so yes, it sounds like an eleven year old. Remember any mistakes are intentional to help convey the fact that she is still young. She'll get better as she gets older. _

_Also, I would like to now state I own nothing but Mina. This is FAN fiction. I've taken most every thing from JKR's genius, and some elements from Dark Shadows and even Doctor Who. The format for the story (diary, 3rd person narrative, notes, letters, etc...) was inspired by the Shoebox Project.  
_

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My name is Mina Collins, and this is the story of how I died. --_Written on the inside cover of the diary_.

**Diary of Mina Collins 1971-1972**

7 May 1971

Today I turned eleven. Papa gave me this diary so I can remember my time at Hogwarts. He says I'll go there soon and learn magic. Mummy went there. I wish she had a diary about it. I want to know more about Hogwarts but Papa didn't go there. I'm happy that I got lots of presents today, but I'm sad that Mummy wasn't here.

20 July

Nanny Night says I should write that muggles landed on the moon two years ago today. We watched it on television when it happened back then. Papa says that even though we are wizards we should learn all we can about muggles and how they live. I don't know why they would want to go to the moon. It was interesting to watch, but I prefer looking at the moon from down here. It is so pretty. Sometimes I stare at it for hours from my bedroom window when Nanny thinks I've gone to sleep.

29 July

I got my letter from Hogwarts! It came today. Tomorrow Papa says we are going all the way to London to buy stuff for school because that is where everyone goes. Nanny Night is going too. Sorry that I haven't wrote very much. I'll remember to write more.

1 August

We went shopping today. I got robes and all sorts of books. Papa bought me a toad. He wanted to give me an owl or a kitten, but I really wanted the toad. The toad looked at me and made a funny noise and looked all funny so I had to have him. I named him Mr. Edgar. I love Mr. Edgar. I got a wand too. It is twelve inches long willow and has a unicorn hair. I think it is really pretty.

2 August

Nanny Night is now making sure I write more in my diary. She says I should write about me today. My name is Artemisia Ophelia Collins. But Papa calls me Mina. Papa's name is William, and he once told me that Mummy's name was Odette. My hair is very curly. Nanny Night likes to brush it but it always hurts when she does. It is also long and there is so much of it. I asked Nanny if I could cut it and she said no. She says it looks just like Mummy's hair. Nanny is coming now. Nanny just gave me a list for my diary. She says it will help me.

List all about Me (placed into Mina's diary)

Name: Mina Collins

Birthday: 7 May 1960

Hair: black

Eyes: brown

Favourites—

Colour: red

Animal: dogs and Mr. Edgar the toad

Book: Alice in Wonderland

Food: fish and chips

Dessert: ice cream

Season: winter

Music: Beethoven

Muggle Movie: The Wizard of Oz

15 August

Nanny has been nagging me to write more. Nothing happens that is interesting enough to write about. I get up, eat breakfast, play in the gardens, have lunch and play some more, tea, lessons from Nanny, dinner, homework, and then I go to bed. Nanny says I should write even more about me so I remember what I was like. My house is HUGE! Papa says it is a castle. I asked him if he was a king, but he said he wasn't, but I am a princess. I never knew I could be a princess and a witch. It never works that way in the faerie tales in my book. Papa says that I leave for school on the first of September. We are going to stay in London for a week before I leave. I can't wait, but I don't want to leave Papa.

31 August

Tomorrow I go to Hogwarts. I'm going to miss Papa, but he says that he'll see me at Christmas. I'll miss Nanny Night too. She says she won't be my nanny anymore because I am a grown witch now that I am going to school at Hogwarts. I think she is more sad than me.

2 September

I'm at Hogwarts! The train ride was fun and scary. But I met a friend. Her name is Lily Evans. Her parents are muggles and she is the only witch in the family, but she knew all sorts of stuff about magic. I don't know very much yet. Papa didn't like to talk about it much, and Nanny said I was too young. Lily had a friend with her named Severus Snape. They were already friends and both knew a lot about Hogwarts. Severus didn't seem to like me very much. I think he needs to take a bath. When the train stopped there was this gigantic man who took us on boats on the lake. He was HUGE, but he sounded very friendly. Lily looked liked a Mr. Edgar when she saw him. Her eyes were funny! We were in a boat with two other girls who seemed very nervous. We were led from the boats to the Great Hall where we had to sit on a stool in front of everyone and a hat was put on our head. It called out the house for each person. My name was one of the first, right after a boy named Serious Sirius Black who was put in Gryffindor. When the hat was on my head I heard it muttering. It thought I'd be worthy of Slytherin, but that wasn't right. It then shouted out Gryffindor and I sat across from Sirius. Lily was put in Gryffindor and sat next to me. I didn't pay much attention until Severus was put into Slytherin. He seemed happy next to an older blonde boy. Then the feast started. There was a lot of food. It was really good too. Then Dumbledore made a short speech and made us sing the school song. It was all very silly. Except for Sirius, he was just dumb. He made lots of dumb jokes with the boys sitting next to him. I thought he was a stupid show off.

14 September

Classes are hard! There is so much work to do. I don't know if I'll have time to write about everything at Hogwarts like Papa told me to. Lily is helping me find time to write as much as I can. I like her. She is funny and smart. I think all the teachers are starting to like her. Professor McGonagall likes both of us because we pay attention and don't laugh at the jokes the boys make. Stupid Sirius Black and his best mate James Potter are so annoying. They are always joking around and I bet they are going to be real troublemakers soon.

28 September

I don't know which is my favourite class. I like Transfiguration because Professor McGonagall likes me and Lily so we don't have to worry about how strict she acts. Charms can be really fun. History of Magic is boring. Defence Against the Dark Arts seems really hard though. But we haven't even done that much yet. Potions is probably my favourite. We use cauldrons, which makes me feel very witchy. Professor Slughorn knew my mum and seems to like me because of it. I think he is starting to like Lily too. He keeps saying how well we are doing and that we should have been in his house. I don't know if I like the Slytherins. All Gryffindors and Slytherins are supposed to hate each other, which is just silly. But I don't think I like them very much at all. They seem mean and stuck up. Severus Snape, for instance, is always scowling at the Gryffindors over his big nose. I think he needs to bathe more because he seems very greasy. Potter and Black don't like him either, but they are mean to him. I still don't trust those two. Lily says to ignore them because boys are just stupid. Remus Lupin doesn't seem stupid, but he is friends with Potter and Black. So he can't be **that** smart. But Lily likes Severus and won't let me say anything about him because I don't know him. I still don't think he likes me spending time with Lily.

19 October

Lily says I forgot to talk about our flying lessons. I've been riding a broom for ages, so it was easy for me. A lot of kids didn't do well. We were learning with the Hufflepuffs and one boy got a few feet off the ground then toppled off. I think he also wet himself in fright of being up so high. It wasn't even a full meter! Potter and Black did fine, but Madame Fleetwood corrected both of them on how they were holding the broom. Lily also did well because she wasn't afraid of the height. I did really well and didn't need to be corrected. I think I'm horrible at Herbology though, and Potions is getting harder.

1 November

I was right. Potter and Black are troublemakers. At the Halloween feast they started a food fight at the Hufflepuff table by floating some mashed potatoes over some boys head and letting it drop. No one seemed to notice how it happened so they just started throwing food all over the place. I saw that it was Black, and he and Potter were bragging about it in the common room later. McGonagall was very upset with the Hufflepuffs, but Dumbledore was just smiling and had that funny twinkle in his eyes. How does he do that?

27 November

Too much work to write. More little pranks by Potter, Black, Lupin, and their little friend Peter Pettigrew. I think they are studying just to learn more magic for their pranks. Snape hasn't said anything mean to me recently. I think Lily talked to him. Now we just glare at each other.

15 December

Still too much work. I can't wait for the holiday. Peeves dropped a couple of ink wells on Black's head this morning after breakfast. I could have kissed Peeves if he weren't such a nuisance all the time. The castle is pretty with all the decorations going up and the snow outside. I wish there wasn't so much mistletoe around. It makes the older students all weird. Even Snape acts funny.

24 December

I got home just fine. It was quicker than the train to get here because Papa just picked me up at the wizard village of Hogsmeade and we went home from there. But the train is traditional so going to school and coming home for the summer I'll be on it. Papa says we'll just have to have two holidays in London each year.

18 January 1972

I'm back at Hogwarts and have so much work. Lily is already starting to panic about the exams at the end of the year. She worries too much. Today in Potions was very funny. Slughorn once again suggested that Lily should be in Slytherin. Lily said she'd love to but green made her hair look so much like fire that people would keep throwing buckets of water on her head. He just laughed and gave Gryffindor five points for cheek. I think her remark made Snape unhappy.

14 February

People are acting weird again. You'd think that the older students think of nothing but love and romance. I try to ignore it. Lily just laughs at me.

7 May

Wow. It has been a whole year since I turned eleven. A whole year since I got this diary. I hope that my writing is improving. I hope I can find more time next year to write. I'm still rubbish at Herbology and DADA. Black is still annoying. All four of them are annoying, but Black is the worst. Lily made me a very pretty birthday card. And Papa sent me some cake and a pretty red shawl that is very big, but he said that I'd grow into it. My mum made it and he thought that I should have it since it is in Gryffindor red.

2 June

Finally all the exams are over. Lily has promised to write me over the summer. I'll miss her, but I can't wait to see Papa and to play in the gardens. Papa has promised to let me ride my old broom more now that I've had lessons. He was very pleased when I told him that Madame Fleetwood didn't have to correct me and I did well. I think one day I want to be on the Quidditch team. The games were fun to watch, but they'd be even more fun to play.

**Letters from Mina and Lily 1972**

Dear Lily,

How is your holiday so far? Are you travelling anywhere special? I miss you and can't wait for school to start again. But I'm happy to be home again. The stairs in our castle don't move. That can be good or bad depending on where you want to go and where you already are. Does that make sense?

One thing that I don't miss are those boys. It has been wonderfully quiet. Mostly I spent my days out in the gardens reading. When it rains I explore the castle. My nanny never liked me doing that, but now that she is gone I can do explore as much as I like. Papa is busy with work most of the time. Then there are only the couple of servants and the house elves, and they aren't much company. So I'm all alone. Maybe next year you can visit. Papa has already said that you can come whenever you like. Exploring castles is a lot of fun. I think we should find some time to explore more of Hogwarts and see if there are any shortcuts or secret passages.

Your friend,

Mina

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Mina,

I would love to spend a week or two at your house. I talked to my parents about it. They weren't too sure about it, but they said if I stay at the top of my class I can visit next summer. Tuney wants me to go away. She doesn't like magic and still thinks I am a freak.

Like you I'm staying home this summer. My dad is too busy with work to go anywhere. But Sev and I are having fun working on our homework. I wish you two could get along better. He is really very nice.

Lily

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Lily,

I will try to get along with him, but I just don't think he likes me. Maybe if you pointed out how much I don't like Black and Potter he'd like me more. I know he hates them.

I wish I had someone here to do work with, or just to talk with.

Mina

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Mina,

Sev says he does like you, but that you just won't talk with him because he is a Slytherin. I wish you weren't so stubborn sometimes.

I don't think I can visit next summer. Sev would be alone and I can't do that to him.

Lily

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_Reviews help things go faster. Flames make things slower. And ideas or tips are welcome._


	2. Second Year

**1 September-December 1972**

**On the Hogwarts Express**

Mina looked out the window of the Hogwarts Express and saw Lily saying goodbye to her parents. She also noticed Snape not far away waiting for Lily. With a grunt she continued walking down the passage. She noticed two of the girls from her dorm with a black boy from Gryffindor a year ahead of them. She opened the compartment door.

"May I join you?" she asked.

"Sure, Mina," Mary Macdonald said.

The boy helped her with her trunk and introduced himself as Kingsley Shaklebolt.

"You're a third year, right?" Mina said.

"Yes."

"Then why are you sitting with three second year girls?"

Kingsley smiled. "Some of the Slytherins have been known to go around picking on the students. So me and my mates decided to split up and make sure that anyone who doesn't want to be bothered by them isn't."

"That's very chivalrous of you. Do you like Quidditch?"

"You like Quidditch, Mina?" the other girl, Sally Sparrow spoke up.

"I love it!" Mina gave a large smile. Nothing was like Quidditch.

"I think I'm going to try out for the team this year," Kingsley said. "Some of the team from last year is now gone. We lost a beater and a seeker."

"Am I too young to be a seeker?" That was what worried Mina.

"You want to be a seeker?" Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "If you are a good enough flyer so should be able to. A small, light seeker can be an advantage."

"And arms like yours must mean you are going to be a great beater." Sally blushed looking embarrassed at her remark, but Kingsley just laughed and nodded.

"Just as long as you beat those Slytherins," Mary added. She seemed very nervous about them.

But thinking about Malfoy, that kid Mulciber, and even Snape… Mina couldn't blame her. They put a Gryffindor's courage to the test. At least Malfoy was gone this year. Mina had seen a pouting Narcissa Black when getting on the train.

The four had a very pleasant journey in Mina's opinion. She and Sally steered the conversation away from anything too girl-y for such a masculine boy, and kept it mostly on classes and what to expect. Mina didn't see any sign of Lily or "Sev" on the train or in the carriages, but with so many it wasn't too surprising.

At the feast Mina, Sally and Mary sat with Kingsley and two of his year mates. Lily was further down the table next to the last member of their dormitory, Christine Radford. She kept looking down at Mina, but neither moved to speak to the other. Mina didn't pay much attention to the sorting, but did notice when Regulus Black, a boy looking very much like Sirius Black, was sorted into Slytherin. He looked very arrogant as he joined his table, and Mina noticed Sirius scowling from her own table. Dumbledore got up at the end of the feast and made his announcements, similar to the ones of the previous year. He also announced that Quidditch tryouts would begin next week and that all students should check their common rooms for schedules.

Finally the sleepy students trudged out to their dormitories. Once up in Gryffindor Tower, Lily said hello to Mina, and Mina politely greeted her back. And that was it. All five girls went to bed and Mina listened as the breathing sounds changed as the girls fell asleep. Her thoughts would not quiet; there was no reason not to speak to Lily. Yet she didn't feel like tagging along with Lily when it meant glares from Snape and too much tension. And that's what she had been doing: just tagging along.

As the week went on, Mina and Sally paired off together while Lily became friends with Mary. Mina couldn't help but wonder what Snape thought of this development. Would he chase all Lily's friends away?

Mina shook the thought from her mind. She was being paranoid. Snape _was_ a decent person—for a Slytherin.

Quidditch tryouts soon came and saw Mina heading down to the pitch with Sally for support. Once there they sat with Kingsley and waited for the captain to get things started. Bart Robins called for the beaters first. It wasn't surprising when Kingsley was chosen as the best beater of the lot. Some were good, but many were pathetic. Then Mina went with the group of hopeful seekers. The task was easy, yet many couldn't handle their brooms. In the end, Sally and Kingsley cheered when Mina was chosen as the new seeker.

It was a few weeks later when Mina came across Lily and Snape in the corridors. Lily smiled at her and Snape was wearing his usual glare reserved just for her and Potter and his friends.

"I never got a chance to congratulate you, Mina," Lily said. "How is Quidditch practice?"

"Not bad. Robins' an absolute tyrant, but so are most captains. I'm told it's like they channel the spirit of the last one and it is a never ending cycle."

"Sounds nice. I'm heading back to the common room. Are you coming?"

"No, I'm heading for the library."

"Oh," Lily sounded disappointed. "See you then. You too, Sev."

The silent Slytherin nodded as Lily left out of sight. Mina just walked around him with a polite half smile. She stopped and turned when he called back, "You may think you're special now that you are on the Quidditch team, but you aren't."

She kept her face blank and her voice even. "I'll keep that in mind. You might like to think about a bath every now and again." She walked away wondering what Lily saw in the greasy kid.

A half hour later, Mina was hitting her head with her Herbology book when a voice asked, "Can I sit here, or is this only for people trying to bash their brains in?"

Mina looked up to see Remus Lupin. "Please, sit. I was only doing it in an attempt to smash the book's knowledge into my head."

"Is it working?"

"Nope. I'm still rubbish at Herbology. I just don't get it. They are _plants_."

"But I thought you were good in Potions? That uses plants."

"I sat next to Lily in Potions. All you have to do is put stuff in a cauldron. Cooking is easy but gardening isn't my best subject. But now that we don't sit next to each other Slughorn is losing faith in me. And Merlin forbid I get chucked out of the Slug Club." Both laughed.

"So you can't help me with Potions? I know I'm rubbish with it." Remus looked very depressed about it.

"I think the whole castle has smelled that."

"That bad?"

"Yeah."

"Great. We better find someone who can do this stuff or we're doomed."

"Well, Lily could help, but she is off with her _other_ friends all the time. I think Sally is good enough, but she has some club tonight, gobstones, chess, exploding snap… who knows with her."

"We don't have to turn them in until Monday; do you think we could grab her before then?"

"Should be easy to arrange. So what to work on?"

Remus flipped through his notes. "We have a pretty tough essay for Binns. Normally I like reading and history, but this is just boring. I think I'm going to be losing my reputation as a bookworm."

"Well we can't have that. Appearances must be kept," Mina said with mock severity. "I find it is helpful to doodle what is going on." She pulled out a sheet of paper with an assortment of stick figures. "I'm no Rembrandt, but do you see what I mean?"

"You're failing art class too?" He smiled as she hit his shoulder with the same book that had previously been bruising her head. "All right, I see what you mean. So that ugly pointy thing with the skull on a stick is…"

After working for an hour on their essays the two called it a night. Soon it became normal to see Mina, Remus and Sally hunched over books and parchment in the library. After much begging, Lily also joined the group.

For Mina time passed too quickly and the day of the match against Slytherin had arrived.

It all worked out how Robins had predicted: the Slytherins played dirty, but they were no match for the Gryffindors' chaser coordination, beater accuracy and strength, and Mina on her brand new Silver Arrow. Of course it was mostly luck that allowed her to avoid the Slytherin beater's bat. Instead of hitting her head he only broke her arm; unfortunately for him it was not the arm she needed to catch the snitch. The game ended at 290 to 40.

It only took a few minutes for the nurse to mend her arm and she was heading back to Gryffindor Tower. The party was already in full swing. She looked around and heard Remus call her name. She made her way towards him and perched on the arm of the couch he had managed to sit on. Unfortunately Black and Potter were also on said couch.

"How's your arm?" Remus asked.

"Good as new. It isn't very hard to mend broken bones."

"That was a wicked dodge though," Potter said with enthusiasm. "We thought for sure he'd have got your head."

"Nah, I'm too pretty for that," Mina teased.

She then listened as James went on and on about Quidditch. Remus had picked up a book and Black just lounged on the couch occasionally adding a comment. Much to her chagrin, Mina found that she liked talking about Quidditch with James… Potter, she had to remember to call him Potter, stupid Potter. And it was more that she liked _listening_ to Potter talk about Quidditch; she began to wonder how he was breathing. After a while she excused herself and went up stairs to the quiet sanctuary of her bed. Not long after, Sally followed.

"I saw you got forced into talking with Potter."

"Yeah, luckily it was nothing but Quidditch talk. Do you think he'll talk less or more about it if he gets on the team?"

"If that four-eyed toad gets on the team he'll be captain in two years. Maybe less."

Mina laughed. "It's true. Just don't call him a toad. You're insulting toads." She picked up Mr. Edgar and hugged him to her.

"Err, yeah," Sally added with a comical cringe of revulsion. "Out of all the pets your dad could have bought you and you wanted a slimy toad."

"Hey! Mr. Edgar is no where near as slimy as that greasy Snape."

"True. Just don't let Lily hear you say that."

"Where is she?"

"Library, with the slimy aforementioned git."

Classes dragged on. Quidditch practice got colder and muddier, yet it only seemed to fuel Robins' determination to practice harder. Mina was exhausted. When she got a letter from her father saying that he was looking forward to picking her up next week her mouth dropped to the floor.

"What's with the face?" Mary asked as she came into the dormitory.

"Christmas. Next week. Going home."

"Shocked? Well, you have been walking around like a zombie. Didn't you see the decorations?"

"Yes, I've seen them. I just didn't think it was so close. Great. Packing. Another thing on the long list of things to do."

Mary just laughed as Mina opened her trunk and started to organise things.

**Diary of Mina Collins Dec 1972**

24 December

It is good to be home again. Yet home is not too different from school. That is the problem with living in a castle. There are all the halls and passageways, staircases just there to confuse you, tapestries, armour, paintings, fireplaces, enormous entry halls, and the list goes on. The big difference is the setting. Hogwarts is surrounded by mountains, forests, and the Black Lake. Here it is wide moors and hedgerows. I still cannot say which I prefer. Probably home, just because of the stable. I love riding on my broom, but I think I love the feel of horse riding even more. I must be a masochist to prefer the butt-numbing bounce on the saddle to the smooth ride of a broom, but what can I say? I'm weird. Just don't let Black and Potter hear me say that. Who knows how they will use it to torment me.

It is strange, but I think I'm beginning to tolerate them and their jokes. I actually laughed when Black turned Evan Blake's hair Hufflepuff yellow and black. The whole Ravenclaw table was giving their housemate strange looks all day and no one told him why. What a shock it must have been to finally have it pointed out to him! The thing with Evan is that he is one of the more pompous Ravenclaws and holds his "superior wit" over everyone. I hate astronomy just because he is in it. Oh well. The funny thing about Black, though, is when he caught me laughing (or rather, snorting) when he did it. He just gave me this look that I couldn't figure out. I guess I surprised him, or maybe he hadn't known I was watching. I just swung up two fingers at him. He walked away laughing after that.

25 December

Today was possibly one of the best Christmases I've had. I know I'm a little young to be saying that, but it is true. Out of the ones I can remember I like this one the most. It started with waking (obviously) and seeing snow falling outside of my window. The ground has been covered in snow the whole time I've been here, but this was the first time it was snowing. I quickly got dressed and ran down to the music room where the presents would be. I got a book about medieval wizards from Remus, a necklace with a snitch pendant from Sally, a book on Herbology from Lily, and a music box from Papa that once belonged to his mother. Papa talked about his family and their house in America. After lunch I went to my room to put away my presents before exploring more of the castle. When I was looking out my window again I brushed against something odd on the wall. I looked under the tapestry I had bumped and saw a small door. I had felt the round handle pull for the door. It led to an old hall that must have been abandoned for years. When I go back to Hogwarts I need to start checking under tapestries.

29 January 1973

I take back anything nice I may ever have said about Sirius Black. That poncy two-faced git! It started when everyone returned from the holiday. I overheard him making comments about my family being one of "those" families. They were having some conversation about purebloods and blood traitors… I didn't pay much attention. I just ignored it really; if it has been of any importance Remus would have told me about it. He's a nice bloke, and Pettigrew I can't say anything about because he has never spoken to me. But then I've only greeted him when he was away from Potter.

Anyways, in Charms we were practicing the new charm (split off in groups talking and having a laugh while making a right cock-up of the spell, really). Next thing I know, I've been hit with the jelly-legs jinx and embarrassingly causing downright pandemonium until Lily takes the curse off and Flitwick cleans up the disastrous aftermath. And bloody Black has a great laugh with Potter and spends the rest of the day bragging about it. Sally and Lily kept telling me to ignore them. I'll get my revenge.

1 February

Ah, the sweet taste of revenge! How I love it! It started the very next day in Potions when on the way to the store cupboard I _accidentally_ dropped something in Black's cauldron. None of them noticed, so when they added the next ingredient (and I was safely back on the other side of class) the whole potion exploded on them turning Black's and Potter's skin a wonderful shade of Slytherin green for the whole day. Then at dinner they found their drinks had turned to vinegar. The spit take was beautiful coming from those green faces. Lily caught me that time, but laughed hysterically when I told her it was her birthday present and that there was more to come. The next day Black was given detention with McGonagall due to his outburst in class when he discovered spiders in his bag. Later that same bag _mysteriously_ ripped open in the middle of the hall. After dinner, he suffered an attack of the jelly-leg's jinx, but due to the crowd leaving the Great Hall was unable to pinpoint the culprit. The today saw his trousers split when he bent over to retrieve a quill he had dropped, and later the notes he had been doodling on caught fire in History of Magic. I take pride in the fact that none of these events have been traced back to me. I think Sally and Lily know, but they haven't said anything about it. I think we all agree that it was time the chosen pranksters get some of their own back.

**February 1973**

**Gryffindor Tower, 2nd Year Boys Dormitory **

"Either we are cursed or someone is having a good laugh right now!" Sirius Black paced back and forth in his dormitory, three boys looking on. After three days of pranks from nowhere Sirius had decided to hold a council of war that night.

"Come on, Sirius," Remus said. "It is probably just your imagination. None of us were paying attention in Potions, your bag was holding too much stuff, and you've grown so your trousers were too small."

"What about the vinegar in our pumpkin juice? The spiders? The spontaneous combustion?" James was just as angry as Sirius due to some of the pranks affecting him as well.

"Exactly!" Sirius broke in. "How do you explain that, O great and wise king of wisdom?"

"All right. Someone may be behind this."

"But who?" Sirius mused.

"Is there anyone we cursed lately?" James asked.

"Sirius hit Collins with jelly-legs jinx," Peter suggested.

"Nah, couldn't be her. She's friends with Remus." Sirius seemed to think this was a good enough reason that she didn't do it.

"But he hasn't had any problems," Peter persisted.

"She's the Gryffindor seeker." James thought that made her too busy to bother with jinxes and curses. "And she's a girl. They don't do things like this."

"But you both were hit with the jelly-legs jinx last night after dinner." Peter wouldn't give up the idea.

"What do you think, Remus?" Sirius asked him.

"I don't think she would do this," he said firmly.

"Right then!" Sirius clapped his hands together. "This means we just need to get back at the git."

"We don't know who it is," Peter whined, upset that he was proven wrong.

"Then we go after the most likely to have done it anyways," Sirius looked at James and they both spoke the name at the same time.

"Snivellus."

Mina was about to hex Black again the next day, but she noticed the four going after Snape. Once she established that they blamed him and were taking their revenge, she stopped her own pranks. Just to confuse the four, she added turned a few of her planned pranks on Snape. The whole event was soon just put down as the battle of jinxes that had begun last year.

* * *

_There will be more included in each year as they get older. Let me know if you like it!_


	3. Third Year Begins

**September-October 1973**

Giving her father a kiss goodbye, Mina jumped on the train and began looking for a compartment.

"Mina!"

Mina turned around to see Kingsley Shaklebolt coming towards her. "Hey Kingsley! Good summer?"

"Not bad."

"Wotcher Mina!" Up ahead Sally had her head stuck out of a compartment. "Kingsley! Do you both wanna sit here?"

"Sure," Kingsley said as they both walked to the compartment. Not long after they stowed their luggage, Lily was at the door asking to sit with them. Kingsley politely helped her with her trunk and they all sat as the train began to pull out of the station.

"So you and your mates watching out for us helpless females again?" Sally asked.

Kingsley chuckled. "I don't think you three are completely helpless, but yes. We are hoping that they will get the idea. It doesn't seem to be working, although it has been better since Malfoy left."

"How many do this?" Lily asked, having not been with them last year to see this happening.

"There are at least a dozen of us. It was started a few years back by a boy named Frank Longbottom. Since he's left the Gryffindors following have just kept up the tradition. Usually it's just the fifth years and above, but I started helping them last year."

"It's the large beater muscles," Mina said, subtly referring back to Sally's comment from the previous year. Sally blushed while Lily looked confused. Kingsley just sat looking rather like a large rock. "So new classes in third year."

"What did you decide to take?" Kingsley asked.

"Divination, Muggle Studies, and Care of Magical Creatures," Mina replied. "I'm hoping that it isn't going to be too much."

"Divination is a weak subject. I prefer Ancient Runes or Arithmancy."

"Oh really!" Lily said. "I'm going to be starting them this year."

"You'll like them." Kingsley—man of many words.

"It seems you are going to be on your own with Divination and Muggle Studies," Sally said. "I'm going with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes too. But I'm going to be joining you in Magical Creatures."

Unfortunately for Mina she was not alone in either Divination or Muggle Studies: both contained Sirius Black and James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. Mina sat staring at her porridge the next morning after receiving her schedule from Professor McGonagall. That is when she heard the four discussing their schedules.

"Do you think I could drown myself in my porridge?" she asked hopefully.

"It won't be that bad, Mina," Sally said without any conviction. Mina raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so it's bad. But not Great Apocalypse end of the world bad."

"I think we just found out what to call them."

"What?"

"Four horsemen, harbingers, demons of death, you pick it."

"Come on, Mina. We'd better get going to Care of Magical Creatures."

After Creatures Mina and Sally walked up to Herbology. "At least," Mina said with a sigh, "if the first lesson was anything to go by, I won't have much trouble with Creatures. And if I do I just will have to have a weekly cup of tea with Hagrid."

After lunch Mina separated from Sally and walked to Divination. Professor Mopsus was a tall man with a face reminiscent of melting wax. The class was dark with smoke coming from a fire that smelled of sage and sulphur. All of the students were waiting to sit, as the professor said he was going to sit them "as the Fates would have them grouped". There were three chairs around each small wooden table. Giggles and moans echoed around the room as the old man called out names and pointed to tables.

"Hmm, Sirius Black, named after the dog star. It is unusual that you are not in Hufflepuff with such loyalty you bear." Mina was one among many who could not suppress a laugh at Black's look of horror at the thought of being in Hufflepuff. "But who to sit with you… I see clay on a wheel. Is there a Potter? Ah yes, James Potter. Who else to complete your circle? I see in the clay the dog and the huntress. Hmm, huntress… Miss Artemisia Collins! Named for the goddess Artemis, the huntress. Please, sit. Now for the next table…"

Mina didn't listen to the rest as she walked like an aristocrat to meet Madame Guillotine.

"Artemisia?" Potter sniggered as she sat down.

Not bothering to hide her wide eyes and sour face she just sat there. "Oh just kill me now."

"Come on, Art," Black said, that evil joking look about him. "What's so bad with working with us?"

"Call me that again, Black, and as soon as I am able I will make sure are a soprano the rest of your life."

"How about Artie? Missy?"

"Black, you are stepping ever nearer to never having children."

"Leave it Sirius," Potter laughed. "We have to think of the future of mischief making."

"Right, jolly good. The future." They both broke out laughing.

"Have you two completely fallen off your rocker in the past two minutes?" Mina looked at the two with suspicion. There seemed to be more in the conversation than what they said—just two years together and they had a secret code. Wonderful.

"How could you suggest such a thing?" Potter feigned. "We would never lose our wits around you."

"Unless it was due to your beauty blinding us to all reason."

"All right. You both were never on the rocker to begin with. And Black, do you _like_ the idea of becoming a eunuch?"

"Um, Sirius," James said looking both scared and about to laugh. "I think she means it."

The next day things only got worse. The professor of Muggle Studies decided to pair everyone alphabetically for their first year in her class. Mina swore against her ancestors for having such a stupid name to fall right next to Black.

"It's destiny, Collins," Black said, annoyingly unperturbed by the whole arrangement.

"Right, the dog and the huntress. I'm thinking that maybe the dog needs to be put down."

"I think you are bottling your true emotions, Collins. It can't be good for your health. Let them out."

Mina started to give throwing herself into the lake serious consideration when Saturday Quidditch tryouts announced Potter as the new chaser and Black the new beater. After the horror of having to admit they were the best options of the lot, Mina walked back up to the castle with Kingsley.

"Do you think you could let one of the bludgers kill me during practice?" she asked him.

"And have Robins kill me?"

Mina crooked her neck to look up at him and raised an eyebrow. The normally solid Kingsley was having a growth spurt again making him more treelike than ever.

"Try to kill me," he corrected himself.

"You're right. He'd only get himself hurt. What am I going to do?"

"I think you have some options to consider. First, you could ignore them. Second, you could try to get along with them. Third, you could turn the tables and annoy them more than they annoy you."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you! Besides the big beater muscles, that is."

"I don't know. Soon Black will have some of his own. I may be jealous at the change of your affection."

"In his dreams."

Later that week Mina was in the library with Remus. Once again Mina was bashing her head with a book, this time Potions. Remus looked like he wanted to do the same.

"We. Are. Doomed." Mina punctuated each word with another thump from the book. Remus reached across the table and tore the book from her before she could bash her head again.

"At least you can do the class work," Remus said.

"But I don't understand what I'm doing! Honestly, how hard is it to follow instructions?"

"You are asking the wrong person."

"You just get flustered. I've seen you. That and I think you may be over sensitive to the smells."

He jerked as he looked at her, but was instantly back to his normal self when he asked, "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. The way you reel back from the cauldron, and you handle everything like it's going to burn you or make you vomit."

"Oh." He suddenly looked behind her, but when she turned around she didn't see anything. "Wait here, I think I just found our salvation." He got up as Mina kept talking.

"Did you see Lily? Because teaching is not her best talent. She just makes me more confused when she tries to explain it. And now I am talking to myself. Great."

It was a few moments later when he returned. With someone. A certain slimy someone. A certain slimy someone who unfortunately is ace at potions.

"I'll help you, Lupin, just to prevent you from blowing up the dungeons. But why should I help her?" Snape sneered at Mina.

"Bragging rights that I'm incompetent and generally stupid?" Mina suggested with a fake smile.

He thought it over for a few moments. "Fair enough. Shall we begin?"

Mina rolled her eyes at Lupin. _'Can you believe this git?'_ He narrowed his eyes at her. _'We need his help. Behave.'_ Mina wrinkled her nose at him. _'I'll tell him where he can stick his help.'_

A few weeks later, the night before the first Hogsmeade trip, Mina was stuck back in the library with Snape.

"Where's Lupin?" he asked irritably.

"Not here. Some nights he can't make it."

"This happens often?"

"Often enough. Are we going to get this torture over with or not?"

"You don't question where he goes?"

"No! Why should I? Maybe he just needs a break from studying every so often."

"Then you still see him even if he doesn't come to the library?"

"No actually. He's probably sleeping or in his dorm. Care to mind your own business and get to work? Still incompetent and generally stupid."

Several hours and a headache later, Mina trudged into the blissfully empty common room and sat in front of the fire. It was getting colder and the warmest spot was the couch in front of the large old fireplace. She watched the light dance with the shadows on the back stones. She loved the soft roar of the flames and the occasional pop and crackle of wood. She wished there were more opportunities to sit like this, just peace and…

"Collins!"

Mina screamed and nearly jumped a foot off the couch. Black stood laughing behind her as she pulled herself out of the cushions.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That!" She tried to breathe and get her heart started again. "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering where you were tonight, cause I had this question about the essay for Muggle Studies."

"I was in the library. If you asked Remus he could have told you."

"Well, he wasn't around to ask."

"Why? Where was he?"

"Had to see his mum," he said quickly. "She's ill." Too quickly.

"Does he see her often?"

"No, just tonight. Emergency thing. Special Head permission."

"Because he has gone missing before."

"No he hasn't."

"I think I remember that he has."

"Then you are remembering wrong."

"Whatever. You aren't going to tell me the truth. Just make sure to get a better story in case Snape asks."

"Snape?"

"Yeah, Snape. Greasy little git of a Slytherin, remember?"

"Why was he asking?"

"Because he's been helping me and Remus with potions!"

"What?"

"Talk to him about it when he gets back. I'm going to bed."

"Wait! What was the essay about?"

"Electricity. Muggles use it since they don't have magic. Explain the benefits and disadvantages." And with that she finally made her way up the stairs. Changing into her jimjams, Mina stared out at the full moon before shutting the bed curtains around her.

Mina woke up after having dreams of lightning and wolves howling. Rolling over she tried to get some more sleep, but she was the last in bed and Sally was whistling again. If there was one noise in the world she hated most, it was whistling.

"Oi! Would you stop that!"

"Mina," Sally said in a cheerful voice. "It is a beautiful day! You should be up. Christine and Mary have already left for breakfast."

"Huzzah for them. Just stop that horrible whistling!"

"I always whistle."

"And I always wish your lips would fall off so you'd stop."

There was silence. Mina turned off her stomach and sat up. Lily was staring at her in shock, and Sally had a combination of anger and pain written on her face.

"Well then go to Hogsmeade by yourself, Mina," Lily said taking Sally by the arm and out of the room.

By the time Mina got down to breakfast, all of the girls in her dorm were sitting together and made a point of not looking at her. Still grumpy from waking up to the whistling, she sat at the opposite end of the table by herself. Unfortunately those four boys weren't far, but she just ignored them and finished quickly. On her own she left and got in the line for Filch to check her permission slip. The other third years were gathering together, but Mina was in too foul a mood to talk to anyone so she stood apart.

Mina thought the village was very pretty with all of the leaves falling in a rain of colour. She walked past the different shops, not needing anything and just not in the mood. She walked out of the main village and through a wood to find an abandoned shack surrounded by a vast space and fence.

As she stood looking at it she heard footsteps behind her.

"It's called the shrieking shack," Remus said. "They say it is haunted by some very violent ghosts."

"Is it? I don't hear any shrieking."

"Well it's only at night, and it doesn't happen all the time."

"Oh."

"I saw you weren't talking to the other girls."

"No, I wasn't."

"I asked Sally if anything had happened." He paused, but Mina stood silent. "She wouldn't say anything." Another silent pause. "Lily seemed to think you said something."

"I hate whistling. She was whistling." She turned and looked at him. "I just… there's no excuse for it." He just stood there. "Everything just piles on top of another. I was stuck alone with Snape for hours last night, scared half to death by Black, woke up to the noise I hate above all others, and it's the wrong time of the month."

He seemed to start at this.

"Sorry, girl thing," she said and he seemed to relax. But he still looked very worn out. "Are you ok? You look a little peaky. How's your mum?"

"She's doing better now. But it still is hard to say."

"I hope she gets better." Another pause. "You better get back. Who knows what they are doing without you?"

"They're fine. Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No. I'm better on my own. Let the bad mood work its way out. Fresh air and some private time—I should be fine. Go have fun."

With a wave he walked off. Mina stood by the fence for a few more moments then started to walk in the nearby wood. There was a cold breeze bringing the promise of winter. There would probably be snow by the time of the next visit to Hogsmeade. Mina couldn't wait. Autumn was nice with all of the colours and chill in the air, but Mina liked winter best. This place would be beautiful in the snow. Instead of the crunch and snap of leaves and twigs there would be the crunch and slush of snow. The wind would be silent instead of the rustling leaves. She would have to come back then and enjoy the peace and…

"Collins!"

Mina let out a rather loud and shrill scream as her whole body shook. Turning, there was Black laughing at her.

"Make noise, you prat! Don't sneak up on people!" She stormed off, but he followed.

"Sorry, Collins. Didn't know you'd do that. Blimey you can scream!"

She stopped and turned, surprising Black and making him stop so fast that he lost some of his balance. Regaining it, he just looked back at her angry glare.

"And just what do you expect? YOU BLOODY WELL MADE MY HEART STOP! AGAIN! What do you want? Or did you follow me just to give me a BLOODY HEART ATTACK?"

"You looked lonely and upset," he said, still completely unfazed by Mina's open hostility. "Remus couldn't get you to come and enjoy the day, so I thought I'd come and cheer you up."

"I don't need cheering up. I need to be alone."

"Nope, you need cheering up."

"Oh for Merlin's… you're like a puppy. You just bound about not caring about what's around you."

"But puppies are cute. I think you are calling me cute. I knew you couldn't resist my charm."

"You just don't give up! Puppies leave havoc and destruction in their wake. Ripped furniture, damaged shoes…"

"But they are cute! With their little noses and puppy paws. I think my nose is rather adorable, don't you?"

"I hope you're not going to be peeing on the carpet later."

"Never. I'm completely housebroken."

"More like you broke the house."

"Come on, Collins. You are coming with me to Honeydukes. No one can eat candy and not be happy. And then we are going to Zonko's so you can help in the effort against the Slytherins. Just don't let Evans know; she'd probably go tell a teacher. That girl is going to be prefect one day. And then I am getting you a butterbeer. My treat if you do everything according to the itinerary."

"Oh for the love of…" She looked at him as he gave her a very puppy-like pout. "Fine! I'll go with you. Are the rest of your little gang coming too?"

"Just Remus. Peter and James didn't want to wait. Come on." He motioned her, and she couldn't help thinking that he looked like a puppy waiting for her to throw a stick. 'Great,' she thought. 'I'm a stick.'

Oddly enough, Mina ended up enjoying herself. Black actually behaved himself (mostly), and she and Remus kept rolling their eyes at each other at Black's enthusiasm. By the time they got back to the common room with full pockets and lighter wallets, Mina had forgotten that she was in a bad mood.

Potter and Black both insisted that they escort her down to the feast, talking about James' favourite subject the whole way: Quidditch. They forced her to sit in between them with Peter and Remus across the table. Soon Sirius got bored with Quidditch talk and turned it to their next big prank.

"But we can't talk about that in front of…" Peter trailed off looking nervous.

"Sure we can," Sirius said. "You don't mind, do you Collins?"

"By all means, scheme away. I won't rat you out; however, I do reserve the right to avoid the crossfire."

"Naturally. And no one else around us is listening. We can hardly hear ourselves with all this din. So what should we do?"

"Something big," James said.

"But nothing that will hurt anyone," Remus added.

"Don't be such a girl, Remus. No offence, Collins."

"None taken. You could always paint the Slytherin table in Hufflepuff colours."

"Too small," James said.

"With streamers, confetti, and centre pieces of course. And make sure the food is all different shades of yellow. Make a party of it in the name of inter-house cooperation. You could even make the Ravenclaws have Slytherin colours, the Hufflepuffs our colours, and we take Ravenclaw's because we were the geniuses who pulled it off."

"I like the way you think, Collins," Sirius said sounding impressed. "Who would have thought you could be so devious?"

"Brilliant," James added, also in awe.

"Remus?" Mina said asking for his opinion.

"Inter-house cooperation, eh? It's brilliant. We should do it for Christmas. It is in the spirit of sharing."

"Exactly!" Sirius was getting excited.

"But to pull it off…" James sat thinking of the effort it would take. "If someone gets to the Great Hall enough before the feast, but after the teachers are gone, it is easy enough to transfigure the existing decorations to different colours. But the food is the tricky part."

"Just ask the house elves," Peter said.

"What are you on about, Peter?" Sirius asked.

"The elves in the kitchens could help. They seem very happy to help any student who comes in."

"How did you find the kitchens?" Remus asked.

"He's Peter," Sirius said.

"He followed his stomach," James finished. "Good man, Peter. Now about getting to the Great Hall in time…"

"Just skip a class," Mina suggested. "Or leave early saying you're going to the hospital wing. I'm sure you can find a way to start running a temperature or vomiting."

"Perfect!" Sirius said clapping his hands together. "We have a plan. Now we can properly enjoy this feast."

"You've already had three helpings of everything," Remus pointed out.

"Details, details. So Collins, how'd you think of it all?"

"Please! I just thought of some of your past work and adjusted it a little into something new. And I need you to help me with a prank I've got planned for Divination."

"All right!" Remus interrupted. "You are not allowed anywhere near her anymore. You are corrupting the innocent."

"Come off it, mate!" James said.

"Let the lady speak!" Sirius added.

"We are starting crystal ball divination after the holiday. I thought I might just switch all the crystals into magic eight balls."

She was met by two blank stares. Remus was chuckling.

"They are muggle toys," he said.

"Wait!" James said, catching on and a smile growing on his face. "They are those balls you ask a question, shake up, and it gives an answer in a little window in the bottom?"

"Yup," Mina said with a large grin.

"Oh, ohohohoh," Sirius said also sporting a large puppy-like grin. "You are my new hero."

"I've figured out how to do it," Mina went on. "I just need some actors to help. It will only really work if you know what it is and how to use it. That is what makes it so funny. As we just saw, if you don't know what they are it doesn't mean anything."

"So you need us three to make it look like we always crystal gaze with eight balls?" James asked.

"That's the idea. Think you are up to it?"

"I'm in. Pete?" Peter nodded, now catching James' enthusiasm. "Sirius?"

"I can't wait."

"Ok," Mina said. "Just don't go dragging me into all your pranks. This is a one-time deal only, prank for prank. I have an image to maintain."

"Agreed," James nodded. "And if anyone takes the blame for the divination scheme it will be us."

"Done."

* * *

_The years are getting longer and soon some of the characters will become a little more developed. And just to clarify, Sally Sparrow has nothing to do with Pirates of the Caribbean. She's from my favourite episode of Doctor Who. So the BBC owns her, not me. I'm just using the name. Review please!  
_


	4. Divination Pranks and Portents

**Diary of Mina Collins December 1973**

23 December

Now that I am home, I have to write down everything that happened with the prank I helped those four boys plan. They set it up for the last night before everyone started to leave for the holidays. We were in potions when Peter starting moaning and vomited into his cauldron. As he is such a large boy it took both Potter and Black to take him up to the hospital wing. I couldn't help but smile, knowing full well what was waiting in the Great Hall for the rest of the school. Sally and Lily kept looking at me as if they were about to ask something, but I wouldn't tell them a thing. The looks on everyone's faces when they went into the Great Hall! I knew the prank was planned so I had my camera with me to capture it all. The Slytherins looked more sour and unpleasant than normal, the Ravenclaws looked snobbishly offended, the Gryffindors stunned but smiling, and the Hufflepuffs were having a right jolly time about it. When I caught Black's eye I had to lift my glass to him. He gave a bark-like laugh and James gave me a thumbs-up. Lily narrowed her eyes, but I just told her as innocently as I could that it was a feast in honour of inter-house cooperation. Those words were spreading around the room rather quickly. Dumbledore, with that twinkle in his eyes, got up and made a special speech thanking everyone for their hard work towards inter-house cooperation. At that point most of the Gryffindor table, involved or who had figured out who was responsible, broke out in uncontrollable laughter. I can't wait until we pull the divination scheme.

26 December

Christmas was lovely as usual. I sent a four-volume set on pranks separately to each of the Four (they really need some sort of official nickname). I hope they like it. I got some pleasant presents: books from the girls, an enormous bag of candy from the Four, and a locket from Papa (another relic of my mother—there is a piece of her hair inside; it really was just like mine). I guess the Christmas spirit has been spoiled a little as Papa left very early this morning. Business seems to be requiring more and more of his time. I think I like Hogwarts more than this castle purely because there are people there. Even with students mostly gone there are always a few teachers around, and the ghosts never leave. Our castle doesn't have any ghosts. Papa bought it from a muggle lord too old and too poor to care for it anymore. Ghosts really only haunt wizards' homes, so none live here. I once asked Papa if he thought about inviting any to live here, but he didn't like that idea. I think he likes that there are no ghosts. To me it is more haunted without any. But I don't want to nag him about it. He's so busy that he's tired every time I get a chance to see him. I don't want to upset him. But now I can't wait to go back to school. Even being on the receiving end of one of Black's pranks is better than this silence.

31 December

It's almost a new year. Papa hasn't returned. I got an owl from him not long ago saying to take the Knight Bus back to Hogwarts, as he won't be able to return before I leave. I've been packing so that I can leave tomorrow. I don't know if anyone stayed over the holiday. The girls all have family to go to. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

**January-February 1974**

**Hogwarts **

After a stomach-jolting journey on the Knight Bus, Mina floated her luggage up to the seventh floor and into the Gryffindor common room. It was completely empty and didn't look to have been occupied in the last few days. Mina sent her trunk and bag up the stairs to her dormitory while she collapsed on a chair by the fire. She sat transfixed, enjoying the peace and…

"Collins!"

Letting out a short yet high-pitched scream, Mina jumped at least a foot off of the chair. Pulling herself out of the cushions she saw Black coming from the staircase and sitting in the chair across from her. He laughed as she repositioned herself. Deja vu.

"For Merlin's sake, Black, MAKE NOISE! Stop sneaking up on me!"

"You know you enjoy it, Collins," he said, an almost arrogant grin on his face. "What are you doing here anyways? Don't you have family to be with?"

"I did," she said, bristling at his bitter tone. "Unfortunately my father had business that took him away, so I decided to return early."

"What about your mother?"

"She's dead."

The arrogance fell from his face. He actually looked… sad, guilty, remorseful, it was difficult to tell. He just sat there in silence for a few moments while she stared at the fire.

"I never knew her. She died not long after I was born."

"Merlin," he said, regaining his tongue.

"What about you? Why aren't you with your family?"

"I never spend any time with them that I don't have to. They are a bunch of pureblood maniacs. My father never speaks to me, my mother wants to disinherit me, and you've probably seen my git of a brother. He's just like them, worshiping this guy calling himself Lord Voldemort."

"I think my father once mentioned him. He was worried about what the guy was going to do next, that he was getting more violent about pureblood supremacy."

"I thought you were more like me, breaking away from your family."

"Hardly. My father is American, from an old family there. I don't know anything about my mother. I don't even know what her maiden name was, or if she was a muggle even. But Papa said his sister married a muggle, and she's the head of the family."

"My only decent family is a crazy uncle and a cousin who married a muggleborn. But I've never really gotten to know her, and now she is busy with the baby she just had. I think she was still in Slytherin, though. I'm the first not in that house."

"Ugh."

"What?"

"I'm having a conversation with you."

"So?"

"I hate you, you prat," Mina said in a playful tone, teasing almost. "You and Potter. I've sworn to hate for your general aptitude for and tendency to cause mischief and all around mayhem."

"I guess we'll just have to take this outside then," he said with a wicked grin.

"Are you challenging me to a duel?"

"Snow balls at twenty paces?"

"Done."

Sirius dragged her out of the chair and both ran upstairs to put on their snow gear. Three hours later they were back in the common room with hot chocolate and DADA essays. It was a subject Sirius seemed to enjoy immensely, and one that didn't come easily for Mina. She was struggling with a particularly hard essay on werewolves when she noticed that Sirius was more than a little interested in the subject. Looking over the symptoms, realization dawned on her.

"Remus!"

"Where?" he said looking up and around the room.

"Nothing," she said quickly. If he didn't know, she didn't want to be the one to tell him.

"No, not nothing. What about Remus?"

"Nothing." She looked up at him hoping he'd believe her. "It's just that I could use his help right now. You know how he loves Defence Against the Dark Arts. He's a great teacher with the subject."

"I'm not good enough?" He feigned indignation. "Please. Anything dear Professor Lupin can do…" He let the sentence trail off as he abruptly took her parchment.

"No! I'm not done yet."

He looked over it and then looked at her. "So you figured it out."

"I beg your pardon?"

"This is an essay on werewolves. You all of a sudden shouted out 'Remus', so you must have figured it out."

"Yeah. It just sort of bit me."

"So?"

"So what?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. No one has been attacked. There must be measures in place to keep people safe. Remus is a nice guy. What more is there?"

"Most people go screaming from werewolves, or they treat them like scum."

"Oh," she said dumbly, still a little confused at his behaviour.

"You really don't know about that, do you?"

"No, not really. It's just been my dad and my nanny, and they never said anything about werewolves. I don't see what the problem is. Remus is so normal."

"You are so sheltered."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't know anything about the wizarding world."

"Well I'm sorry, Mr. Black. Maybe my ignorant self should leave your almighty presence!" She started to gather her books and parchment.

"No!" She stopped and glared at him. "I didn't mean it that way. It's a good thing. A really good thing. I think it will make Remus happy that you don't care. He gets really down about it."

"When did he tell you?" she asked sitting down again.

"He didn't. He'd been telling us all sorts of stories about visiting his sick mum. We figured it out last year."

"Well, if it is such a big deal, I won't tell anyone. Just him, let him know I know."

"Right, good."

"So if your best mate's a werewolf, you must have been studying about them a lot."

"Yeah…"

"Care to enlighten me, o keeper of wondrous wisdom? I still need another foot of parchment."

Smiling and arrogant once more, Sirius started listing off things he knew.

They were alone for only a few more days until the rest of the students returned to the school. Neither mentioned to their friends about the time they had spent together.

With the students' return also came a new subject in Divination, which in turn meant it was time for another prank.

The room was dark and cold. The fire was out but there was still the slight scent of sage in the air. Mina arrived to class early; the three boys were only a minute behind her.

"Everything ready?" James asked.

"It's all set," Mina replied with a cheeky grin. "Transfiguration to make McGonagall proud."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "If my darling McGoogles finds out about this, it will be worthy of prank history."

"Shh," Peter said from the door. "The other students are coming."

"I believe that is our cue," James motioned like a director for every one to take their places.

Mina quickly did the spell turning all of the crystal balls into black plastic with an eight on top. In the dark room, they still looked like crystals from a distance. As everyone came in and sat down, both chuckles and looks of puzzlement spread across the room. Yet, like Mina had hoped, everyone was taking a cue from James and Sirius. Even Peter managed to look as if nothing was wrong. By the time Professor Mopsus arrived everyone was looking as they normally did. Occasionally a laugh would bubble from someone but turn quickly into a cough.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the professor said. "Today we will start the art of crystal gazing. Many never see anything but their own reflections. But some catch glimpses of things. Sometimes people have seen into the past rather than the future. It all depends. Miss Collins!"

"Yes sir," she said politely and evenly, not allowing even a smile for fear of giving up the game.

"Will what Mr. Black see in the crystal be images of the future?"

Mina sat there looking puzzled. What was the old man on about? "Sir?"

"I suggest you consult your _crystal_, my dear." He motioned to the ball on the table. "Pick it up and give me an answer."

Mina picked up the ball and shook it. Everyone was watching with a sort of awed horror. She turned over the ball.

"Yes," she said.

"It seems you will be passing this class, Mr. Black. As for you Miss Collins, I am glad your transfiguration is coming along so well, but please try to focus on divination while in my classroom. If you would please turn them back."

"Yes sir." With a wave of her wand all the balls turned back to crystal.

After class the halls buzzed with talk of how Professor Mopsus had guessed about the prank. James and Sirius walked on either side of Mina with Peter trailing behind James.

"How'd that old boffin know?" James asked.

"Was he in the room the whole time?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Not a chance," Sirius dismissed. "We were in there. No one was there, and he definitely came through the door."

"What I want to know," Mina said, "is where that question for the eight ball came from. Will Sirius see the future? Did you see anything?"

"Nope… well, not really."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"I thought it must have been a reflection, but all I saw was curtains."

"Curtains?" James's forming grin said that he would use this to take the mickey out of Sirius later on.

"Yeah, plain, ugly, thin, slightly moving curtains."

"What does that mean?" Mina asked.

"Stay away from windows," Peter said. James roared with laughter drawing looks from the other students in the hall.

"Well, it didn't go at all well," Mina complained.

"No, it was still brilliant," James said. "I think it was funnier this way."

"Right, because now you can take the mickey out of Sirius. That alone was worth it."

"Hey!" Sirius said.

"Well, I'll leave you boys to haver on. Cheerio!" Mina spotted Sally and ran over to her to tell her how things went.

It wasn't until the first week of February that Mina was able to tell Remus that she knew. They were alone in the library working on an essay for astronomy when she brought it up.

"There's a full moon in a couple days," she said looking up from her parchment.

"Y-yes," he said slowly.

"You'll be visiting your mum again?"

"How'd you find out?"

"The werewolf essay. Sirius confirmed it."

"I could kill him."

"Why? He seemed shocked when I said I didn't care."

"You don't care?"

"And now you're shocked too? I guess I have been missing something," she muttered to herself, but loud enough for him to hear. She then addressed him directly. "I don't care. No one has been hurt in the nearly three years you've been here. Precautions are being taken, so why shouldn't you have a relatively normal life the rest of the time?"

He just sat staring at her, his face looking much like a fish with his mouth hanging slightly open.

"I'm not going to tell anyone. Sirius told me that not everyone sees it like I do."

"No, they don't. You really don't care?"

"Nope! So stars. And planets. And the moon. I've always thought the moon was pretty. I don't think I can put that in this essay though." Her forehead wrinkled and her tongue started to poke out of her mouth as she thought out loud. Remus shook his head and smiled. It was good to have friends so understanding, even if he didn't understand them.

The castle was soon buzzing with talk of another Hogsmeade trip, this one right in time for Valentine's Day. Everyone was talking about dates, and Mina couldn't escape it. Muggle Studies covered what muggles did on the day—not all that different from wizards, so Mina thought it a colossal waste of time. Slughorn had special lessons on simple love potions. Even History of Magic happened to be covering the elaborate courtship of some wizard that led to the goblins almost winning a rebellion due to the distracted wizards. In Divination Mina sat frowning, as Professor Mopsus was talking about different types of divination used through the centuries to find a person's one true love.

"I already know who my true love is," James boasted.

"What?" Mina said, the frown furrowing her forehead even further. "Who?"

"Oh Merlin!" Sirius said letting out a long sigh. "Sorry Collins, but we've tried to keep it quiet. This git thinks he's in love with Evans."

As Mina's frown fell off and left her jaw on the floor, James got a glazed expression. "I know I love her. Ever since I saw that lovely hair. Who would have thought it was a mere reflection of her beautiful inner fiery spirit?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"Try listening to it for over two years."

"She's coming with me to Hogsmeade this weekend!" James smiled brightly.

"You asked her out and she said yes?" Mina couldn't believe it.

"Not yet. But I know she'll say yes."

"Er, James…"

"You don't agree, Collins?" Sirius asked.

"No. I think you're going to get smacked upside the head, James. And that is if you are lucky and she's in a good mood."

"Just you wait, Mina. This is destiny."

Before she could say anything more, Professor Mopsus appeared.

"Well, have you all gazed into the crystal and seen your true love? Mr. Black, it has been foretold that you can see the future. What do you see?"

"I'm sorry, professor," his voice was more arrogant than sorry, "but I think my inner eye needs glasses. All I see is Collins, and that's just a reflection."

"Thanks, Black," Mina said sarcastically, offended by his casual insult.

The old man just smiled and turned to Mina.

"And you Miss Collins? Do you only see a reflection?"

Mina looked not expecting to see anything. But down in the ball she saw something moving. "Well, there's something moving. It looks like… like a large black dog."

Mopsus looked at her hard and long, and then turned to the crystal. He jerked back from it and looked at her with pity. "I want you to see me after class." Before she could say anything he moved to the next table.

"Merlin, Collins," Sirius drawled. "Looks like you're in trouble for unseemly behaviour towards animals."

"Sod off, Black."

Class was soon dismissed and the boys left with the rest. Mina approached the old professor who had sat at one of the tables.

"Sir?"

"Are you familiar with the Grim, child?" he asked sounding very tired.

"It's a spectre in the form of a large dog that haunts graveyards. The legend originated in the north. Muggles sometimes call it padfoot."

He smiled slightly. "Yes, you know your history. You must also know what it means to see this spectre."

"Death. Sir, you don't think…"

"I've seen many things in my life. Too many things, I think; however, there are some who think that this is all rubbish, that it cannot be certain. That is true, things are never certain. What was in the crystal could have been the Grim, or it might just be that you will have a pet dog that is your companion for a time. I would not dwell on it if I were you. In this case it is better to let things happen as they will."

"Sir, if someone sees the future, can they change it?"

Another smile. "At last, a bright witch in my class. When wizards have seen a future event some have tried to change it. Usually their actions make it happen. As I said, the future is never certain. Also as I said, it is easy to misinterpret the signs and symbols of any medium."

Mina started to giggle at the pun, but held back.

"All right, young lady, you may go. I'll not keep you from your friends any longer. Just remember what I said."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Mina left the classroom and walked down the now silent and empty hall. She walked slowly, wondering if she really saw the Grim. She may be ignorant of wizard views on werewolves, but she knew full well what was thought about the Grim. Superstitions, mostly. Nothing to worry about, it could just mean she gets a dog for her birthday. That would be nice. Something at last to keep her company when at home where things were too…

"Collins!" Mina's whole body tensed so quickly it hurt. At least she hadn't screamed. Sirius had jumped around the corner she had been about to turn and was now laughing at her.

Instead of yelling, Mina took a deep breath and walked around him.

"Hey! Collins, wait up!" She kept walking but he ran up to her and walked along side. "What? No scream? No yelling at me never to do it again?"

She stopped. "Is this some sort of a game to you?" He stared at her with that arrogant grin across his face. "_Is it_?"

"Come on, Collins, it's just…"

"It's just making my heart stop and my whole body shake, and that _hurts_. Do you think I'm not serious when I tell you to stop? Does it _look_ like I _enjoy_ this?"

"I…"

"Never think!" she finished for him. "Look at my face. Look good and hard because I am only going to say this once more: _STOP_."

When she started walking again he didn't follow.

* * *

_So Mina has seen the nice side of the Boys, but now she is going to finally see the bullying side. How will she react? Reviews make my day happier. Please let me know what you think!_


	5. Quidditch & Conversations

**Notes passed between Lily, Mina, and Sally during a rather dull DADA class**

**Two days before the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade trip**

_Mina to Lily, stretching back and dropping it on her desk_: Where's Mary?

_Lily to Mina, stretching forward and tucking into the side of Mina's frizzy chignon_: Hospital wing

_Mina back to Lily, hand behind her and under Lily's desk_: What happened?

_Lily to Mina, enchanted to fly to her desk_: Potter hexed her. Boils everywhere. Not pretty.

_Mina to Lily, enchanting her note to fly as well_: Why did he do that?

_Lily to Mina, deciding finding clever ways of passing notes discretely completely pointless and charming three pieces if paper just to show anything written on each on all_: He doesn't need a reason, he's Potter. He just shot off a hex in the middle of the hall, it got Mary, they laughed and she went running to Pomfrey in tears. End of story.

_Sally to Mina after reading the pile of notes from Lily and taking one of the charmed sheets_: I'm surprised you never noticed before

_Mina_: They never did this in front of me, they seemed all right

_Sally_: Not to the rest of us, we're all just another prank to them

_Mina_: Have you turned down Potter yet?

_Lily_: twice

_Mina_: I did try to warn him

_Sally_: So we are all going together to Hogsmeade? A united front against pranksters?

_Lily_: Mina? Are you going to leave us and start another prank with them?

_Mina_: No. What we did was harmless, no hexing. If they want to hurt people they've just lost a friend.

_Lily_: good for you

_Mina_: I've been a right divvy, haven't I?

_Lily and Sally_: Yes

_Mina_: Sorry

_Lily_: You pay for the butterbeer

_Sally_: Two for me, you owe me a bigger apology

_Mina_: Done.

**February-June 1974 **

**Hogsmeade**

Mina stood looking at the window display at Zonko's waiting for Sally and Lily to come from the Three Broomsticks' loo. There were plans for looking at outfits at Gladrags, and that undoubtedly would take most of the day leaving no time to actually go into Zonko's.

"Collins!" Mina turned to see Sirius and Remus walking towards her. "On your own again? I guess we could let you tag along with us."

"Sorry, Black, I have other plans."

"No, I think you are coming with us again. Just can't leave you here and let you be miserable. It's not right."

"Don't talk to me about what is right! And for your information I am not currently miserable and I _have plans_. Sorry, Remus, but I'll see you Monday night in the library?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"You don't expect me to believe you have plans, do you Collins?" Sirius still had that stupid grin on his face.

"Oddly enough, I do."

"Because she does," Lily said coming up behind the two boys, Sally just a step behind. "So if you will excuse us, I'm quite certain Mr. Potter and Mr. Pettigrew are pining without you Mr. Black."

Remus pulled a stuttering and angry Sirius away while the three girls entered Gladrags. While browsing Mina thought she heard some Hufflepuff girls giggling about something. When she caught what they were talking about she started laughing. Apparently the girls were rhapsodising about Sirius Black's good looks. Mina was very glad when the girls left the shop.

The next weekend was Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff. While they had easily crushed Slytherin in November, Robins was practically panicking about the new Hufflepuff team that had succeeded in thrashing Ravenclaw, a feat not often heard of in the known history of Hogwarts.

Rained poured on the Quidditch pitch making visibility a joke and broom control impossible. Mina couldn't see what was happening with her team, and didn't try to. She wanted to find the snitch as fast as she could so that she could go back inside. She kept circling hoping to see something.

Then the worst happened. Though she couldn't see, she could hear the commentator Dorothy Gudgeon shouting that the Hufflepuff seeker had caught the snitch. The final score was Hufflepuff 220, Gryffindor 80.

Mina brought her broom to a stop, hovering high above the pitch. Her head was pounding and she felt like she was going to be sick. Not able to forever avoid the crowds, she brought her broom down and started walking to the locker rooms. She weaved her way clumsily past crowds of happy Hufflepuffs swarming on the field, not caring if she bumped anyone with a shoulder or her broom.

By the time she reached the locker room the rest of the team was there. Robins was sitting on a bench feverishly drawing game plans on a board, not speaking to anyone. Ella Griffiths and Gwen Perkins smiled sympathetically as they quietly left. James looked like a loved relative had died, while Sirius leaned against the wall looking grim.

"Not bad, Collins," Robins sounded as if the words were painful. "Hufflepuff got lucky. They won't be the next time we play them."

"No, Captain," Mina said, sounding just as pained. Robins got up and left. "So, Kingsley, did you at least make their victory painful?"

"Best as I could."

Mina nodded. "One loss out of six, not bad, eh?" She tried to sound nonchalant about the loss, but her insides were twisting painfully.

"Not bad?" James squeaked. "There's no way we'll get the Cup this year."

"And whose fault is that?" Kingsley asked, his normal rock steady voice getting a hint of anger. "In weather like this I don't blame or praise the seeker; finding the snitch is just blind luck. I leave it to the chasers to ensure that it doesn't matter who catches the snitch."

Whatever colour was left in James' face drained.

"You aren't the captain, Shaklebolt," Sirius said heatedly.

Mina left the boys to fight this out on their own. As she got back to the castle her head was spinning and her stomach still threatened to eject its contents.

"It's just a game," she kept muttering over and over. Taking firm hold of the railing, Mina started trudging to the seventh floor. The more she climbed the dizzier she got. She made it to the second floor before she had to collapse on the steps. She rested her head against the cold banister. Suddenly she became aware that someone was sitting on the top step next to her. She turned to see the Headmaster. Two and a half years and she had never before been this close to Professor Dumbledore before; his eyes really did twinkle.

"Sir, I…er…"

"Good afternoon to you as well, Miss Collins."

"Er… good afternoon sir."

"I don't believe Hufflepuff has had so great a chance of winning the Quidditch Cup since I was a first year, and that was no short time ago."

"No, sir."

"It takes great courage to lose. And I believe you have that courage, much more than you realise. I heard recently that you managed to view a Grim in a crystal ball. This has been a grim defeat." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again.

Mina smiled. "Begging your pardon, sir, but I'm still hoping for a puppy for my birthday."

He chuckled. "I'm glad that you listened to Professor Mopsus. I don't put much faith in Divination."

"What will be will be, whether we see it or not."

"Basil was not exaggerating when he said you had an understanding of divination beyond your years. Please try to enjoy what is left of the day, and I look forward to seeing Gryffindor with the Cup next year." He stood and walked down the stairs and out of site. Mina, feeling better, stood and continued the long trudge to the Gryffindor common room.

The common room was quiet and mostly empty. Lily and Sally were at a table with Remus so Mina joined them.

"They didn't give you a hard time, did they?" Lily asked.

"Hmm? Oh, not really. Not with Robins and Kingsley there."

"Does Robins have a first name?" Remus asked. "Everyone calls him by his last name."

"You would go by your last name if your first was Eustace," Sally said.

"Eustace?" Lily's eyes were dancing in inner laughter.

"I overheard his mum saying goodbye at Platform 9 ¾."

"Mystery solved," Remus said.

Kingsley then came through the portrait hole and sat with his mates. A few moments later James and Sirius walked in, Sirius sporting a swelling black eye. The two walked straight up to their dorm, and Remus got up to follow. The whole common room was silent.

"Oi!" Mina called. "Kingsley, am I to understand that your lessons in team manners went well?"

"I think they've reached a satisfactory outcome," he called back.

Lily and Sally just stared at Mina waiting for an explanation.

"Define hard time."

The next time Mina saw Sirius it was in Muggle Studies. The black eye had healed, by magic no doubt, to a patch of yellow-green around the eye. The two never spoke; she was paying full attention to the professor and taking notes, while he lounged in his chair. Divination took much the same turn. She did her work silently and ignored the uncharacteristically quieter boys. All of her other classes she sat with Lily or Sally and avoided them. At Quidditch practice she had her routine, and they each had theirs. It wasn't until late March that James had something to say.

Mina was on the third floor on her way up to Divination, when she heard him call her. She turned around to see him standing a few feet from her, Sirius a few feet behind him.

"Look, Mina," he said. "I'm sorry we lost the game. But this silence is driving me insane."

"Your sorry we lost the game?" Mina couldn't believe he could be that dense.

"That's what's bothering you, isn't it?" He was that dense.

"No, it isn't."

A group of Ravenclaw first years started passing them, and some slowed down to watch the older students.

"Mind your own business!" James shouted at them. Both he and Sirius had their wands raised and two curses hit two of the first years. After the bright light faded the two first years were vomiting black feathers.

"_What the bloody hell was that for_?" Mina shouted. "Everyone go to class I'll take these two to the hospital wing." Everyone just stared at her. "NOW!" Everyone quickly started walking. James and Sirius hesitated a moment but Mina had other things to worry about now. Luckily it was only two floors down to the hospital wing.

Madame Pomfrey, having been in the position for five years, was very familiar with curses gone wrong and combined with others. Mina watched as she had the two sorted out in twenty minutes. Not ill herself, Mina was sent back to class. But when she reached the seventh floor she turned down to Gryffindor Tower rather than going to the North Tower. Professor Mopsus probably already knew what happened (whether he was told or not), and hopefully he would forgive her. She needed a nap.

Sometime later she woke to see Sally coming in the room.

"Rumour is you skived off Divination."

"You know what they say about rumours."

"That if they stopped the walls of this place would collapse from the lack of wind holding it up?"

"Something like that."

"Mina, what happened?"

"Black and Potter. Potter was trying to talk to me before class, curious first years passed, two got hexed, I took them to the hospital wing."

"Sometimes I wonder who will be prefect: you or Lily?"

"I'll let Lily have the position any day."

"Good. I'd hate to be parted from you." She sat on her bed, which conveniently right next to Mina's. "You can't skive from every lesson with them."

"Why not?"

"Because for some odd reason you like Divination and Muggle Studies. I used to think it was because you secretly fancied one of the boys. I can see that was completely wrong."

"You were. I like the subjects, not the people I'm forced to work with. Though, I did used to... they were all right when pranks were jokes, not torture of others."

"Well buck up, soon they'll be going home for the holiday. Oh, and unless you want to see Lily punch Potter on the nose, I wouldn't go down to the common room. She should be leaving soon. She said she'd be meeting darling Sev."

"She's still friends with that git?"

"Now you see why I need you with me? Come on. Be the better person. Face your demons and act like they aren't even there."

"Right. Ignore the harbingers and get on with life."

"I was going to go talk to Hagrid about the essay for Care of Magical Creatures. Fancy a cup of tea?"

"Why not? Maybe he has some grownup advice about boys."

"I doubt it will be anything useful, but it's worth a try."

Hagrid didn't have any advice other than to wait for them to grow up, but it was nice talking to him. Over the next week Mina kept a wall of stony silence between her and the two boys.

By the second week Mina was sure that the Great Apocalypse had come, or that the gods were out to torture her. She was eating dinner when she saw Black leave with a third year Ravenclaw. A third year Ravenclaw female. On her way back to the common room Mina spotted the two joined at the lips down the hall from the portrait of the Fat Lady. She gave the password in an overly loud voice, but Black and his trollop didn't notice. Disgusting.

Black and the Ravenclaw trollop were together until just before Mina's birthday. A third year Hufflepuff whore replaced her, but she was dumped when Hufflepuff beat Slytherin 340 to 50. It was then impossible for Gryffindor to get the Quidditch Cup.

During the rest of the term Mina was often tempted to break her silence around Black and Potter, but each time she saw them hexing some innocent bystander, or Black going around like Casanova, her determination was renewed. She would not give in.

* * *

_Yay! Hufflepuff finally won the Cup. It was for my favourite Hufflepuff, Sue Upton, and all the wonderful badgers out there. So Sirius is becoming the Hogwarts Heartthrob and James is starting to ask Lily out. The kids are growing up. Please review! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome.  
_


	6. Fourth Year Begins

**Letters from Mina and Sally 1974**

My Mina dearest,

I hope all is well. Everything is fine here. I actually have a favour to ask. My useless muggle of a half brother has chosen to attend an American university. My parents will be taking him there the tenth of August, and will be staying until the fourth of September. This poses a minor problem with where I am to stay and how I'm to get to the Hogwarts Express. I really don't want to stay with my muggle relatives for that long. Could I possibly stay with you?

Your friend in need of help,

Sally

-----------------

My dearest and most lovely Sally Sparrow,

I would be overjoyed to have you stay at Allerton! I have already asked my father, and he has given his permission. He'll be away for a while, but there are adults still here, and travel arrangements to London and to the station have been made. I can only await your arrival with joyful excitement.

Your most joyous and excited friend,

Mina

**September 1974**

**Hogwarts Express**

Mina and Sally boarded the train and joined Lily. Kingsley had finally decided that the girls were more than capable of taking care of themselves and was sitting with a group of second year boys.

"She lives in a castle, Lily," Sally was eagerly relating her summer visit. "A real muggle castle. It's huge! And there are servants. Not just two or three house elves like normal wizards have. Servants!"

"Yes, I know," Lily said smiling. "A castle where the stairs don't move."

Sally turned on Mina. "You told her, but not me?"

"I invited her to come visit after first year."

"And you didn't go?" Sally turned back to Lily.

"No."

"So I am the only one to have actually seen your castle?"

"Yes, you are the only one," Mina said.

"So what did you two do in that huge castle?" Lily asked.

"Mostly we walked around the inside exploring all the rooms, which was a lot funner than it sounds. It has so much history, and yet Mina knows nothing about any of it. I loved all of the old things. We also played some one on one Quidditch out _beyond_ the gardens. The place is just huge!"

"You aren't going to be on the team as well, are you?" Lily sounded upset.

"No, I like Quidditch, but I would never join the team. I play for fun; the school takes the game to seriously. No offence, Mina."

"It's all right. I know what you mean though. I still remember losing to Hufflepuff."

"That was only last year," Lily said.

"Yes, but it is a stain on the proud house of Gryffindor. And it is 'more fun', Sally, not 'funner'."

"See if I visit you ever again," Sally said teasingly.

"See if I invite someone with such atrocious grammar again," Mina replied with mock snobbery.

The "row" was broken when James Potter stumbled through the door.

"Hi, Evans!" His hair was even more ruffled than usual (if that was even possible), yet he ran his hand through it again. "Did you have a nice summer?"

"Wonderful," she said coldly. "You weren't there."

Still unfazed, "So do you want to go out with me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Oh. Hi Mina, hi Sandra."

"It's _Sally_," Lily said pushing Potter out and closing the door.

Barring James' interruption, the train ride was filled with rather uneventful conversation. They got off the train to hear the familiar call for first years from Hagrid, and then took the horseless carriages to the castle. The feast was its usual splendour: mountains of food and masses of excited students. Unfortunately for Mina, the splendour dimmed when Black appeared next to her.

"What do you want?" she asked irritably.

"Now, now, Collins. Is that any way to greet an old chum?" She rolled her eyes and turned back to her plate. "It just so happens, Collins, that I bear a message from our fearless captain."

"What does he want?"

"My, my, aren't we snappy?"

"You better make it snappy or I'll snap you."

"Quidditch practice. Day after tomorrow. 7 pm."

"Doesn't waste any time, does he?" She noticed that Black wasn't moving. "Anything else?"

He addressed her and everyone nearby. "We are currently taking bets on the fate of this year's defence professor. Death, loss of limb, insanity, resignation, or sacked."

"That's disgusting!" Lily said.

"How long is the betting open?" Mina asked.

"Till next Sunday." Black was grinning at her, and... was that a wink?

"I'll get back to you."

With a final grin Black rejoined his comrades in crime.

Lily was glaring at her. "What?" Mina asked.

"You are taking part in their… It isn't right."

"Which is why I am cheating to win!"

"What?" Sally asked looking puzzled. "How?"

"There is a reason I'm Professor Mopsus' favourite student. I'll just use my Inner Eye."

Lily's face was turning a colour to rival her hair. "Not only are you taking part in this sordid bet, but you are cheating?"

"Finally, you've caught on."

After that Lily and Mina stopped talking to each other. Sally tried to make conversation, but gave up being the middleman before the feast was over and Dumbledore was making his usual statements about Filch's list and the Forbidden Forest's forbidden-ness.

When Mina and Sally went down to breakfast the next morning, Sally had some questions for Mina.

"So how long are you two going to be doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Friends one years, only speaking to each other when you have to the next."

"I… I don't know."

"All right, then let's examine what has made this happen. First year you are always together, then you come back from the summer holiday not speaking to each other. What happened?"

Mina let out a long sigh, knowing full well that there was no escaping Sally's interrogation. "I invited her to spend some time at Allerton, to explore the castle. I sent a rather full letter, she sent a shorter one telling me how she was having a wonderful time with her darling _Sev_. I wrote saying how lonely I was; she said she couldn't leave _Sev_ alone."

"Uh hah. Am I detecting bitterness?"

Mina rolled her eyes.

"Hmm, very interesting." Sally sounded like a scientist examining a new type of fungus. "Third year, if you please."

"Halfway through I find out what those boys have been up to and she just picks me up after seeing the error of my ways."

"And now that you are once again participating in their schemes, she won't speak to you. I believe I have deduced the problem."

"Enlighten me, Sally Sherlock."

"Boys. You can't stand Snape, and she hates those four boys, or at least the two ringleaders."

"So what does the dear doctor prescribe?"

"Celibacy. You'll have to become a nun. Both of you."

"Then this feud continues. I don't think my hair could be persuaded to get along with a habit."

"I don't know," Sally said, scrutinizing Mina's long, thick braid and the curls standing out around her face as they descended the wide marble staircase in the Entrance Hall. "I think you'd look cute as a nun."

"Who'd look cute as a nun?" James asked, suddenly coming up behind them.

"Lily," Mina said without any hesitation. "It's why she keeps turning you down."

"Oh!" His eyes went wide behind his glasses.

"I think you should persuade her to change her mind," Mina continued. "I don't think it is right for her, but don't tell her I said that. Or that I said anything. If she knew what I really thought, let alone that we told you, she'd probably burn me in my bed."

"Sure. Won't say anything. My word of honour!" He skipped off into the Great Hall. Mina broke out in a fit of giggles, while Sally scowled at her.

"She'll find out."

"Maybe," Mina said getting a hold of herself. "But until she does, this is going to be a right laugh."

As classes started, Mina found herself once again stuck with Black and Potter for Divination, but fortuitously she was free of Black in Muggle Studies. The professor had pulled names from a bowl and so Mina was paired with Greg Tennant, a blond boy from Hufflepuff.

"Hi," he said shyly after they had taken their seats. "I'm Greg."

"Mina."

"I know. You're the Gryffindor seeker…"

"Who lost to your house," Mina filled in with a sigh. She was never going to live that down.

"Actually, I was going to say I think you are really good. But I'm not an expert, not like him." He nodded towards James who was busy making jokes for Christine Radford. Mina also detected a note of jealousy in the boy's voice.

"Do you play Quidditch?"

"No. I'm not any good. I love to watch though." Crikey, the boy was a mouse.

"So why are you in Muggle Studies?"

"Both of my parents are muggleborns, so I wanted to learn more about muggles. You?"

"My father comes from a long line of wizards, but we live mostly like muggles. I don't want to become too separate from that while in a wizarding school."

"Oh. That sounds really nice." Yup, a mouse.

----

Meanwhile, Sirius was not happy. James was laughing with Christine, and Collins was having what looked like a rather pleasant chat with that Hufflepuff boy. And he was stuck with Alfred Jones, a pale brunette Hufflepuff with permanent hiccups—or at least hiccups that started anytime he got nervous. Around Sirius the boy was downright petrified. Sirius sat slumped in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, and just glared at Collins. He liked sitting with her—when she actually talked to him. She knew a lot about muggles and was funny. He had to remind himself that she was also a right pain in the arse. Stupid girls and their mood swings! He was learning that it was best to leave them right when their moods started changing. It was less complicated that way.

When Sirius and James were heading to practice the next night, Sirius saw Collins chatting with that partner of hers from Muggle Studies next to the staircase leading down to the kitchens and Hufflepuff common room.

"Oi Collins!" he yelled. "Stop havering to the enemy; we've got practice!"

"Stuff it in your ear, Black. I'm coming!"

James started sniggering. "What was it you were saying last night? That all women here just fall at your feet?"

"Collins isn't a woman. She's just Collins."

"What is just me?" Collins asked coming up behind them.

"You are," James says with a large smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Sirius then determines it must have something to do with being nearsighted.

"I know I am," she answers angrily and storms on ahead. Sirius can't think of a better way to describe how she walks when she is mad about something. She looks like dark clouds that appear out of nowhere and disappear with the heavy winds. The kinds of clouds that mean don't play golf or go near trees.

"Well, she may be Collins, but she sure is strange," James said. Sirius knew that James was just as bewildered about Collins' mood swings.

During practice, the same type of clouds Sirius had been comparing Collins to came sweeping over the Quidditch pitch. Robins kept them practising saying it was perfect for improving in conditions like the game they lost. By the time they got back to the locker room, Sirius couldn't feel his hands and was certain that the bat had glued itself to his hand. Robins was badgering James about how he thought practice went, did James see anything that could be improved, did he have any suggestions about techniques. Sirius just shook the water out of his hair with a grin on his face. It looked like Robins had James pinned as the next captain.

His grin fell as he heard Collins laughing at something that the tree Shacklebolt had said. He wished Collins would be reasonable and talk to him again, at least smile at one of _his_ jokes. She was a nutter, that's all there was to it. Well, he had a girl waiting to laugh at his jokes, Lucy, Linda, something like that. Not bothering to rescue his mate from his barmy captain, Sirius headed back up to the castle.

The next morning Sirius bounced down the stairs to breakfast.

"I take it things went well last night," James said bleary eyed and grumpy.

"They did indeed. Oh, pass the sausages!"

Not moving, James glared at his friend. "You left me with that madman."

"Thank me when you are Quidditch captain. Just pass the sausages."

But just then Evans came up and took said sausages. James immediately sat up looking cheerful.

"Morning Evans."

"All right," she said reluctantly, standing still with sausages still in hand.

"Black isn't your colour," James said.

Evans raised an eyebrow. "It's the school uniform. I can't do anything about the colour."

"Oh, I know. I didn't mean that you don't look lovely in your robes. You'd look lovely in anything, even if you were naked."

The glare increased to rival even darling McGoogles at her most intimidating. "Potter…"

"Er… well… I just don't think you should choose a _vocation_ that has you wear black all the time."

"Thank you for the advice." She started to turn, sausages still held hostage. But then she turned back. "No. Potter, what are you on about?"

"Just some friendly advice."

"We aren't friends."

"Paramours?"

"Only if you want bogies attacking your face for the rest of your life. Why are you suddenly interested in what I'll be wearing in my future career?"

James ran a hand through his messy hair. Sirius needed to help his mate; he needed those sausages too.

"I don't think you should be a nun!" James blurted.

"What?" When James was about to repeat it she held up one hand, leaving the sausages insufficiently guarded. "Don't say it, I heard you. What makes you think I'm going to be a nun? Just because I won't go out with you does _not_ mean I am going to be a celibate." James started making odd spluttering noises. Time for a distraction. "You arrogant, selfish, poxy wan… Ah!"

The last sound was due to the fact that Sirius had suddenly appeared on her other side and taken the sausages from her hand. Moving like a hunchback he ducked around her chuckling in a high pitch nasal way.

"I'm stealing the sausages!" he cried in perfect mimicry of Punch from a children's Punch and Judy show. "I stole the sausages!" He forked a goodly amount on his plate, added a few to James', then handed them back to a tomato-headed Evans.

As she was about to go away, James yelled after her, "I didn't think you'd be a nun! Someone…"

That got her back in an instance. "Someone told you?"

He blanched. "Er… well… you see… I overheard… and then… well she said… and I thought…"

Evans' eyes narrowed so that she looked just like McGoogles whenever Sirius was dragged into her office after being apprehended by Filch in the halls after curfew. Suddenly she threw her head up and turned towards the other end of the table. She dropped the sausages by her plate next to Martha—or was it Mary? —and then kept marching down to Collins and Nightingale—or was it Robin? Pigeon? —he couldn't keep any of the names right. There was some angry whispering from both Collins and Evans, until finally Evans marched back to her own plate. James just looked dazed and lost.

"Come on, Potter. Eat your sausage."

"Damn the sausages!" James yelled banging his fork so that it went flying into sixth year Sturgis Podmore's porridge. He left the hall as Remus and Peter had finally come in.

"What was that?" Remus asked.

"Evans." Remus nodded—they didn't need to say more.

"I hope at least everything went all right with Lucinda last night."

"Oh! That was her name!"

"Ooo, sausages!" Peter smiled picking up the links on James' abandoned plate.

James disappeared from classes, but reappeared in Divination. Collins still wouldn't say anything not about the set work, but after class she joined them as they walked to the common room.

"James, about this morning," she began. He stared at her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that; I spoke without thinking. It seemed funny, but… Forgive me?"

"Barrage balloon," James told the Fat Lady. "Of course I forgive you. Must have been real funny for you." His voice did not sound amused. "I just don't see why you don't really talk to us anymore."

She looked startled by his last statement. "I… It's just… If you can't figure it out on your own, then it won't help for me just to tell you." She then jogged up the stairs to her dormitory.

"I _hate_ it when they say that! I don't know what is going on, but I want to. That should count for something, right? But noooooooooo! They have to say we can figure it on our own! Well _FINE THEN_!"

"I've been trying to tell you, mate, all girls are completely mental." Sirius tried to use his wisest voice, but only sounded like Remus after a little too much chocolate.

"It's hopeless." James sighed, trying to sound tragic but just sounding like a cross between a cat's meow and a moose's mwhah.

Over the next two weeks Quidditch seemed to be the only subject that could get James smiling. They tried tempting him with pranks to pull, but he would "sigh" over Evans or grumble about Collins, neither of whom appeared to be on friendly terms with the other.

But then Sirius received news that made him murmur and complain more than James: Regulus Black was the new Slytherin seeker. As soon as her heard he went in search of Collins. He didn't have to look long because as he was leaving the common room she was coming in with Remus.

"Collins, we had better win against Slytherin," he said gruffly.

"And why is that?" she asked coldly and with a hint of condescension.

"They have a new seeker. _ Regulus_." He gritted the name out of his teeth.

Her face lost the look of annoyance and looked serious. "We'll kick the shite from them. Because I have no intention of losing, especially not to that git of an excuse for a brother you've got, Black. Just do me a favour and make sure more than a few bludgers hit him."

"Deal."

Remus just shook his head and walked with Sirius back to their corner of the common room, where at that moment James was "not" staring at Evans with that stupid glazed doughnut look.

* * *

_I'll be updating about once a week, maybe twice if I get reviews to help encourage me. I've got a huge paper due tomorrow, and then finals are next week. Isn't summer school grand? Well, HUGE thanks to all who have reviewed! It really helps to know what you think, what was good, what was only ok. I work very hard to make sure everything fits with canon. __I must also suggest that if you don't mind mild slash to read _**LadyAnalyn**_'s brilliantly hilarious work. She is also starting soon a wonderful new story with SB/OC and RL/OC._

_Special Thanks go to all who have read this due to _**LadyAnalyn**_'s kind referral. We constantly bounce ideas off of each other, so I have inspired some of her work and she has likewise inspired some of mine. So thank you for reviewing for her, it has made her very happy, and I hope you like my fic._


	7. Lumps and Bumps

_Please check out "The Marauders' Legacy" by LadyAnalyn. Ever wonder about the two Gryffindor girls in Harry's year that are never mentioned? Well, those two girls have special talents for trouble and pranks-- not surprising when their fathers were two of the legendary Marauders. It is very AU, but very funny as well. I have to recommend it as I am the beta for it. So check it out!_

* * *

**October 1974**

**Hogwarts**

Mina walked through the library, navigating past shelves and tables in search of Greg. He had wanted to meet to go over project ideas for Muggle Studies. He also had promised to help her with her ever-dropping Herbology marks.

As she passed one self, she did a double take. At one of the tables, surrounded by a pile of books, sat Black and Potter and Pettigrew. They _never_ came to the library. Ever. Not even to see Remus. Peter might, but _never_ those two.

She soon found Greg and sat down with a loud thump—the combination of her bum hitting the seat and her bag of books hitting the floor.

"Are you ok?" Greg asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Black and Potter. I could've sworn I saw them studying just a few shelves back that way."

"Students come to the library to study." He didn't seem to understand.

"Not Black and Potter. To them the library is like Azkaban—you don't go there voluntarily."

Greg just smiled that timid, kind-of-sweet smile. "Shall we get started?"

"Sure. Right."

They worked for a while on Herbology, and then moved on to Muggle Studies. Greg asked if she knew what the project was on.

"Er, muggle television. Oh! That's easy! I watch it all the time."

"Really?"

"Yup, like this last June, the Doctor regenerated and now I have to wait until just after Christmas to find out what the new Doctor is like."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you ever seen Doctor Who?"

"What?"

"Doctor Who. Saturday nights on the BBC. One of the most popular shows right now."

"So you think we should do our project on Doctor What?"

"Doctor _WHO_." Mina picked up her Muggle Studies textbook and started to beat her head with it.

"Um…" Greg sounded unsure of what to do, and more than a little frightened.

Mina vaguely noticed Snape walking by, but was too busy with her book bashing to really care. Suddenly the book was taken from Mina's hands and came crashing into her forehead like a wrecking ball. The book tumbled down to her lap. As she sat watching the stars fade from her eyes, Greg started gathering his books. When the stars cleared enough to see, Mina turned around and saw the swish of Snape's robes vanishing from site.

"Snape hit me?"

"Yes. Maybe we should call it a night. Would you like me to take you to the Hospital Wing?"

"No thanks. I'll see you in class."

As Mina walked up to the seventh floor, she felt her forehead throbbing and swelling—she was going to have one hell of a bruise. She found Sally and Remus studying in the common room by the fire.

"What happened to your head?" Sally asked anxiously.

"You didn't do that, did you?" Remus asked, thinking about her habit.

"No, I never hit hard or long enough to bruise." Mina hesitantly raised a hand to feel the lump, and winced as she barely brushed it. "Ow. Does anyone have a mirror?"

Sally dug through her bag and pulled out a small mirror. As Mina was examining the green lump slowly turning purple and black, Black and Potter came through the portrait hole. Naturally they found Remus and headed over to him and his companions.

"Hey Moony!" Potter said in a singsong voice.

"Moony?" Sally asked.

"New nickname," Remus rolled his eyes, but it didn't sound like he objected to the name. "Peter in the kitchens?"

"Yes, our little boy is just growing so fast!" James wiped away a tear that wasn't there.

"What's with the mirror, Collins?" Black asked when he noticed Mina still looking at her forehead in the mirror. "Did your face break?"

"No!" Mina drawled angrily. She put down the mirror and looked up at the two boys hanging over the chair that Remus occupied.

"What the…" James' rather loud expletive fell out of his mouth as it dropped to the floor in shock.

"Bloody hell, Collins." Sirius looked both impressed and concerned. "Where did you get that lump?"

"That's what we'd all like to know," Sally said.

"Could you all not yell so loud?" Mina asked. "My head hurts."

"Wow, who would have thought?" James said sarcastically. "We did actually kind of figure that."

"So?" Sally asked impatiently.

"So what?" Mina asked right back.

Sally rolled her eyes. "Where'd you get the bloody lump on your bleedin' forehead?"

"Three guesses."

"Do we get a hint?" Remus asked.

"Well, he's greasy and his name begins with S."

"Does it end with –everus Snape?" Sirius asked with a particularly menacing scowl.

"Oddly enough, it does," Mina confirmed.

"Right," Sirius said, and both he and James marched out of the common room.

"Now you've done it," Sally said. Remus then got up and also went to the portrait hole. "Are you going to stop them?"

"No, I think I'll give them a hand," he said looking at Mina. He left.

"Now you've really done it! Now even Remus is going to beat up Snape in your honour."

"I didn't ask them to."

"Bollocks. You might as well have."

"I'm sorry, but the git deserves it. I'd do it myself, but I can't really see straight right now. Ow."

"You really should go to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm fine."

"Like hell you are!" Just then Kingsley came into the common room. "Kingsley, can you do me a favour?"

He walked over to them. "What can I do?"

"Escort Miss Mina to the Hospital Wing. I'd do it, but she's stronger than me and rather reluctant to go."

Kingsley looked at Mina and the now black lump on her head. He nodded at Sally and pulled Mina up off the floor. Taking her by the elbow he led her out of the tower and down towards the first floor.

"Where did you get the bruise?" he asked.

"I can't say. You'll just beat him up."

"Maybe."

"So is it me, or is Robins training Potter to be his replacement? I thought it would have been you."

"He is training Potter. He asked me first and I refused. Potter deserves it. He is a fine player, and you are avoiding my question. Who did it?"

"You are going to beat him up, and Sally has already started in on me about sending other boys after him."

Kingsley then stopped and crossed his large beater arms over his chest. "Who did it?"

"Snape. Beat him up all you like. Add to my shame."

He took her elbow again and started walking once more. "There is no shame. I just need to let that Slytherin know that _no one_ touches Gryffindor girls. And I think it would be best if you didn't tell Sally."

"Sure."

When Madame Pomfrey asked what happened Mina said she fell. Luckily, the school matron never asked too many questions or challenged replies—unlike Gryffindor boys. It only took a few minutes before Mina was allowed to leave, the black lump only a faint, large, yellow dot.

Over the next couple of weeks, Snape could often be found in the Hospital Wing hexed or just bruised. Soon it stopped as the greasy git hid in the dungeons or among groups of students. A week before Halloween, Sally and Mina passed him in the library on the way to their usual table.

"Was that Potter and Black?" Sally asked looking over her shoulder down an aisle they had just passed. "Studying? _In the library?_"

"It's best just not to question it. It is just too Twilight Zone."

"They've done this before?"

"Yeah, just keep walking."

Not long after they had sat down and pulled out their books, Snape appeared again.

"Look who has returned to the scene of the crime," Sally said.

"Tell them to stop," Snape said looking straight at Mina.

"Tell me why you did it? We haven't liked each other, but we never got violent about it."

"Evans won't stop complaining about how callous you are to her. You told Potter that she wanted to become a nun."

"So that is what has your knickers in a twist," Mina said, her voice becoming rather patronizing. "Let me give you a piece of advice, _Snivellus_. Stay out of girl problems. They can turn rather nasty. I'm not going to tell the boys to stop; they wouldn't listen. But you are going to wish you hadn't even asked me to do that."

Snape sneered, but Mina's cold smile soon made fear show in his eyes. He fled.

"What are you going to do?" Sally asked.

"You mean what _you_ are going to do."

"What?"

"Lily's been complaining of the new attacks on darling Snivellus. I think you should tell her why they have been happening."

"In full detail, including what the git just confessed?" Sally said catching on.

"Naturally, you couldn't very well leave it out."

"You are so evil sometimes. Why aren't you in Slytherin?"

"If every girl who schemes was put into Slytherin there wouldn't be any in the other houses."

"True," Sally conceded.

Remus then came and sat down next to them looking as if he had just seen something disturbing and unnatural. "Did I just see…"

"Yes," the two girls said together.

-------

The night before Halloween, Sirius was alone in the common room at his usual table. What was not usual was the pile of books surrounding him. He flipped through the pages of yet another useless text and picked up another. Remus came through the portrait hole and sat across from Sirius.

"Hey Moony!" Sirius said brightly.

"Good evening, Sirius," Remus said stiffly. Something was off—probably Moony was still stiff from last night's full moon. "Are you… studying?"

"Studying? Me?" He tried to sound innocent.

"Yes. You. Books."

"Oh, no. This isn't studying. I'm just looking up some things for the Halloween prank. Studying?" He laughed at the idea.

"How was your date with Greta last night?" Remus sounded as if he already knew how the date went, but he couldn't so Sirius pushed it aside.

"Fine. She's not a bad snogger."

"You weren't interrupted, were you?" There was that all-knowing tone again.

"Um… yeah, now that you mention it."

"Who by?"

"Listen, Moony…"

"Mina wasn't in class today, was she?"

"What? Um, yeah… I mean no… Er… She wasn't in class." Sirius was wondering where this was going, because Remus' tone was starting to unnerve him.

He tried to remember what happened last night…

-------

He was taking Greta back to her common room and had plans to stop in the kitchens. They had been snogging in an empty classroom on the fifth floor, and to Sirius it was not an hour unwell spent. He had just pulled her to him for another go when Collins started coming up the stairs he was blocking.

"Do you mind pausing your game of tonsil-hockey to let me pass, Black?" she snapped.

He pulled away. "Do you mind shoving off, Collins?"

"No, I don't mind, Black. Shoving you two off the stairs would certainly fix my problem."

Sirius had had enough of this and Collins' frigid attitude. "Just bugger off, Collins, and stop being such an ugly bint just because you're jealous."

As soon as he saw her face he knew he had gone too far. She immediately left and ran down the stairs and out of sight.

"That was a bit harsh," Greta said with a frown. "Don't you think you should go after her?"

He shook his head. "Collins will be fine." He started kissing Greta again, but it had lost its appeal.

"Goodbye, Greta. It's been fun." He dashed up the stairs and went straight up to his dormitory in Gryffindor Tower…

-------

"Do you know why Mina wasn't in class?"

"No…"

"Turns out _something_ upset her and she needed to walk. Yet she knew it was a full moon and didn't want to risk going outside, so she just walked around the lower floors. Seems she was avoiding _something_. Apparently she met some rather nasty fellows while avoiding _another_, and ended up in the Hospital Wing all last night and most of today due to receiving some nasty hexes."

"Are you blaming me? It's not my fault."

"No, it's not. What is your fault is the fact that despite her physical injuries being healed she is still in pain. I should really bump your head into the table. You just had to open your mouth and say something stupid."

"It wasn't me!" Peter had just come up behind them and took a seat at the table.

"What wasn't you?" Remus asked.

"Whatever it was you were talking about that was stupid."

"No, Pete," Sirius sighed. "It wasn't you."

"Oh, groovy. How's the _research_ going?"

"Still no clue _what_ to do," Sirius said keeping up the established code in front of Remus. They didn't want him to know yet.

"All right, something is up." Remus eyed them suspiciously.

"What do you think we should do for a prank?" Peter asked him. Peter could be dense and obvious sometimes, but he could divert people when he tried.

"I think _someone_ should apologise," Remus said looking straight at Sirius.

"That's not a prank," Peter moped.

"All right, let's find James and think of something," said Remus.

* * *

_And if you are wondering, the new Doctor was Tom Baker who became the Fourth Doctor in Dec 1974. He is arguably the most famous of all to play the Doctor. He's the one with the scarf-- for any Americans who may have seen some of the show. Check out the Tenth Doctor on the SciFi Channel. _

_So please let me know what you think. Review!  
_


	8. Falling

**Two Letters**

**October 31, November 1**

Miss Artemisia Collins,

I was an arse. Please forgive me.

I remember just after last Christmas, when you said you liked dogs. Please accept this gift with my apologies.

S. O. B.

In more ways than one

-------

Sirius Black,

Thank you for the gift. I accept your apology for the incident on the stairs; however, I cannot extend the true branch of friendship at the present time. I hope that one day you will be able to figure it out.

So until you achieve maturity and wisdom,

I remain your fellow student,

A. O. C.

**November 1974**

The morning after Halloween, Sirius was in a black mood. Stupid Collins was still acting like the Ice Queen. She had sent that stupid thank you note, but he didn't even know if she had actually kept the gift or even liked it.

He had picked up the little stuffed dog in Hogsmeade during an emergency run for supplies they had taken after finding James. He had thought she would like it, but now he would never know because stupid Collins was still being stupid.

Not speaking with her held another problem: he wanted to get the Slytherins that got her, but he had no idea which ones did it. A blanket attack on all of them only did so much—and to Sirius that wasn't enough. He needed to pull something bigger than hexing any Slytherin walking the halls.

They were in History of Magic when James passed him a note.

_Library after dinner._

_Again?_ Peter passed rather obviously after seeing the note by Sirius.

_Have we managed to do it yet?_ James passed to him.

_Okay. Library instead of fun._

_Sirius?_

He irritably scribbled a response. _Yes. Library. Got it._

_Are you all right?_

_You look mad._ Peter once again performed the simple task of passing a note unnoticed with the grace of a baby elephant. Not to mention stating the obvious.

_I'm FINE!_ Pressing the quill too hard, Sirius was forced to get another from his bag.

_Meet me after class,_ James wrote back.

-------

"You are _not_ fine," James said waving his arms in emphasis… or what he thought was emphasis. Really he just looked as if he was signalling muggle airplanes. "You are the very essence of _not fine_. You are _worlds_ away from fine! So the question is why are you in this wretched state of not fineness."

"Um, James," Remus put in before Sirius could answer. "That isn't the correct usage of the word 'fineness'. It's a description of quantity or measure of metal, not a state of being."

"See!" James said with another arm wave. "Moony here is correcting my grammar, and _I_ am _fine_! Why aren't _you_?"

"Maybe because you have me locked up in the library every night when I could be out snogging a pretty bird!" Sirius finally snapped. Really he wanted to be out hexing those nasty green things that lurk in the dungeons, but that would not get James to stop.

"You kiss birds?" Peter asked. "Don't you get diseases that way? Is he going to change into one?" He took a step away from Sirius.

"He means girls, Peter," Remus explained, not even quite sure what the boy was talking about. "Not the animals."

"Oh."

James ignored the avian discussion and was still ranting. "Do you remember _why_ we are doing this, Sirius?" Without stopping to let him answer, James ploughed on. "I don't think you do! Remember Remus? Remember why we decided to call him _Moony_? Do you remember _our_ club? No! You just want to go out and keep working on recruiting members for the _Snogged by Sirius Black Club_."

Feeling angry and now even guiltier, Sirius slumped against the wall.

"What are you guys doing?" Remus asked. "Just what have you been looking up in the library that involves me?"

"We were looking at ways to help you, Moony," James sighed and decided to spill the secret.

"During the full moon," Peter clarified.

"We found that as animals we'd be immune to the bite of a werewolf. The disease only affects humans, so we are looking at how to turn into animals."

"You are trying to become animagi?" Remus looked as if James had just hit him with a stunning spell. "Are you guys completely mental?"

"Yes," Peter said with a big smile. Remus stared at him for a few moments, and then at James.

"Then I'll just have to help you gits before you cock it up completely." He shook his head. "You are really trying to become unregistered, underage animagi?"

"Yes, we are." James nodded.

"And now we can actually do it with _your_ help," said Peter.

"Thanks Pete!" James rolled his eyes. "But that will wait." He turned to Sirius, still slumped against the wall. "We need to take desperate measures to help you be fine again."

"So a new prank, or just hexing Snape?" asked Peter.

James seemed to think it over for a second before getting that familiar up-to-no-good look in his eyes. "Both."

A grin started creeping over Sirius' face. He was going to show stupid Collins. Those Slytherins were in for a beating they'd never forget.

-------

"Is it me, or have the attacks against Slytherins increased lately?" Sally asked as they walked up from Potions to Gryffindor Tower—slowly as eight floors was a long climb just to the common room.

"I suppose," Mina agreed. "But they increased when I got hit on the head."

"I know, but they've increased even more since then. And they haven't been very nice either. Transfiguration and bird feathers should never be used like that."

"I told you, I didn't tell anyone about my last trip to the Hospital Wing." She had only told Remus, but she couldn't tell Sally that he was there—too many questions Mina couldn't answer. She wondered if he had told James and Sirius. Probably.

"All right! I'm not blaming you; I'm just pondering about it out loud."

"I told you _no_!" They heard a girl shout from behind them.

They turned to see Lily walking away from Snape, who was trying to keep up with the red head and talk to her. Lily marched right past them, and Mina and Sally closed in to block the way.

"_You_!" he spat at Mina.

"I told you that you would regret meddling in girls' affairs," she said calmly. "I suggest next time you pay attention to my warning."

"If you go quietly," Sally said, "we might just help patch up things with Lily."

"_Might_ being the term to remember," Mina added.

They heard the not-so-distant sounds of Potter and friends. Snape ran. Sally and Mina then ran to catch up with Lily. They found her up in their dormitory.

"Lily?" Sally asked when they saw her sitting on her bed.

"Oh, hi you two. Thank you for stalling him. You didn't hex him, did you?"

"Do I look like James Potter?" Mina asked.

"Well…" Sally started, but got a punch in the arm for it. "I was just going to say that you do have similar hair. You have to admit that neither of you can get your black hair to lie flat. But yours is more frizzy and curly, so it isn't _exactly_ like his."

"And you don't run your hand through it every two seconds," Lily said with a smile.

"Because you put it up all the time in buns or braids," added Sally.

"Anyroad!" Mina drawled, not liking the conversation at all. "What's up with you and Sniv…Snape?"

"Nothing." Lily looked down at her lap. Then she looked up at them again. "It's just that he's been hexing people for no reason—like Potter. Only he and his _friends,_ Avery and Mulciber, tend to use the nastier hexes."

"Dark magic," Sally stated frankly.

"Yes. Severus just won't listen when I say it isn't right! I still am his friend, but how can I be when he…" She trailed off.

"Now you know what I'm going through," Mina said softly, sitting next to Lily. "I like James and Sirius, but there are times when they are complete arseholes. All the time, actually. I want to talk to them in class, but I can't condone what they do in the halls."

Lily turned her green eyes up to Mina's face. "They don't use dark magic."

"Is Lily Evans saying something nice about James Potter?"

"Shh," Sally said shutting the door with a grin on her face. "He might hear you."

Lily made a face of mock disgust before giving into the smile that forced its way onto her face. "I'm merely stating the truth. It doesn't change how I feel about stupid Potter."

"I suppose we can let it pass then," Sally said. "Oh shite! I forgot that I'm meeting Erik in a few minutes."

"Erik D'Arcy?" Mina asked.

"That gorgeous Hufflepuff?" Lily added.

"Is there another Erik worth mentioning at this school? See you girls later!"

With a smile and wave, Sally left.

"So what are we going to do?" Mina asked Lily.

"What do you mean?"

"Boys. Sally said we should become nuns. That was kind of when Potter interrupted and I wanted to get rid of him, so I…"

"Ah, yes. Well, if _that_ is what happened I suppose I can forgive you. I wondered why he had been acting odd…odder." She laughed. "If only he wasn't so arrogant."

"If only."

"I can't just stop being friends with Severus."

"Why not?" Mina finally let loose her rant on the greasy little berk. "He's slimy, and mean, way too into the dark stuff, greasy, rotten, smelly, no sense of hygiene, vengeful, mean, slimy…"

"You said those before," Lily interrupted.

"Oh, yes. I did."

"I know about all of that. But he is smart, funny, he's always been nice to me when he's always known my parents are muggles, and it's not all his fault. If you had to go home to what he does, then you'd be the same."

Mina sat down and let out a sigh. "What does he have to go home to? Why is it that you can't leave him?"

"Swear you won't tell anyone?"

"I solemnly swear. My word of honour."

"His father is a muggle and his mother is a witch. They fight all the time, and I think his father beats him. That's what he has to go home to."

"That explains the lack of any semblance of personal hygiene. All right, I'll make you a deal. Provided he doesn't hurt me again, I'll _try_ to be nicer to him."

"In exchange?"

"Help me with my Potions work?" She gave a large hopeful smile.

Lily laughed. "Deal, provided you actually listen."

"I do! It's not my fault you don't always make sense."

-------

The day of the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match was overcast with dark clouds. Fortunately the rain was light, so vision was not impaired. Too much was at stake to lose this game because of blind luck. Before the game, Robins was giving his usual speech, James was listening but looking pale as a ghost, Kingsley stood still as a rock, and the rest fidgeted with nerves. Mina and Sirius kept exchanging glances; neither wanted her to lose the snitch to Regulus.

Out on the field there was the traditional glare-down and roughly forced handshake between the captains. Mina didn't like the particularly nasty looked Regulus Black was giving her. She didn't see the nasty look Sirius was sending right back at his brother. The whistle blew and there was a rush of wind as all the brooms became airborne. Mina started circling high above most of the play below. She vaguely noticed the amazing teamwork between the chasers—practice had been paying off.

She rolled her broom to avoid a bludger. She had to dip suddenly to avoid another. Regulus was some distance from her, but she could still hear him laughing his head off.

_If only that were literally_ _laughing it off_, Mina thought.

As the next bludger came, Sirius appeared next to her and sent it flying at his brother. Though Regulus dodged it, he didn't see Kingsley behind him hitting it right back at him. The younger Black got a hard hit on the back, knocking the wind out of him, but he held onto his broom.

"All right, Collins?" Sirius asked.

Something moved in the corner of her eye. "Er... yes! Watch my back!"

She dove down suddenly and pushed her broom to its limits to get that little glint of gold. She thought she could sense Regulus behind her, but she didn't have time to worry about him. Speeding up a little more, she reached out and grabbed the flighty ball.

But just as her fingers wrapped around the snitch, a bludger hit her lower back. Trying to keep hold of the snitch, she lost her hold on her broom and started to fall through the wet air.

She didn't fall long before strong arms caught her. She looked at her rescuers: Kingsley and Sirius. James came swooping down with her broom.

Surrounded mid air by a bunch of worried boys, Mina found the whole situation rather funny and started to laugh. "Got it!" she said holding the snitch for them to see.

-------

Walking back to the castle, Mina heard something behind her. She turned and saw Sirius running after her.

"Blimey, you walk fast," he said, obviously not winded from his little jog. Nor was his hair mussed from its usual casual elegance.

"Did you want something?" There was none of the usual coldness to her tone, but more puzzlement as to why he was chasing after her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What for?"

"You told me to watch your back. And I did. I watched it get hit with a bludger because I was too slow to catch it."

"You don't need to apologise. You can't be everywhere. Just… just as long as you are there when I fall… that's all I need."

He smiled. It wasn't the mischievous smile she was used to, but an honest softening of his arrogant features. _No wonder word is that he can get any girl he wants_, she thought. That smile could send any girl weak at the knees.

"It's a promise."

They heard James calling from behind them. As Sirius turned and waited for his mate, Mina ran up to the castle. When Sirius turned back to her, she was gone.

-------

A week later, Lily and Mina were working together in Potions. Slughorn had asked the usual partners to split so that the better students were paired with the struggling. Lily saw Black trying to get to Mina, so she stepped in before Mina could notice. Black ended up with Remus, so Lily thought it was as it should be.

"Mina?" she asked when they set to work.

"Yeah. What?"

"How are you?"

Mina smiled at Lily's rather odd behaviour, puzzled by the sudden concern for her wellbeing. "I'm fine. Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

"Then you haven't heard?"

"I'm guessing from the confused look I'm now wearing on my face that you can assume I haven't."

"Oh. Well, it's not that important."

"Then why did you bring it up?"

"It's just that some people, girls mostly, are taking the mickey out of you behind your back. They belittle your Quidditch skills while praising Black's to no end."

"Let them then. Obviously they are too stupid to realise that Black let me be hit in the first place."

Lily turned as she heard sudden shuffling behind her.

"What?" Mina asked.

"Nothing," Lily lied. She was almost certain that Black had just over heard the last piece of their conversation on his way to the storeroom.

**Drafts of Letter Torn and Crumpled, Eventually burned**

Dear Sirius Black,

Thank you so much for the lovely gift. I can't believe you remembered what I said. I'm trying to forgive you, but I can't

-------

Sirius Black,

Thank you for the gift. I loved it. I do forgive you for your words on the stairs, but

-------

S.O.B.

You are right, the initials suit you. I'm trying to forgive you, but it isn't easy. The gift is nice, thank you, but it can't

-------

Black,

S.O.B. doesn't begin to describe you. You were a right wanker. If you weren't such a berk, I might be able to forgive you. The toy was a nice empty gesture, so I must say

-------

**Crumpled then smoothed and placed in Mina's diary**

Dear Sirius,

The little dog is adorable. I can't believe you remembered that one little thing I said during those few days we had together. You were so nice to me then, cheering me up when no one else could. I think that was my favourite time at Hogwarts. But now there is no one—you've gone. This act you've become isn't who I started to get to know. I wish you would come back. I wish you would act like the person I know you really are. Until then, I can only forgive the horrible things you said. I can't be a friend until you remove the mask you've become. I can only hope that it will happen when I am still here to see it.

Yours ever,

Mina

* * *

_Oh dear! What is going to happen next?How will Sirius react to Mina's last comment? If you want to find out soon, reviews make me happy, and a happy me writes faster. Review please!  
_


	9. The Sword

_Thank you to all who reviewed! Because of that I was happily inspired to write quickly, and to not make this as evil of a cliffhanger as it was going to be. And just to clarify, Sirius will not be reading the diary while Mina is alive. I was referring to the little comment he overheard in Potions. That will be _very_ clear in this chapter. Enjoy!_**  
**

* * *

**December 1974 – January 1975**

**Hogwarts**

It was the first week of December and the Gryffindors couldn't be happier. They had beaten Slytherin, Ravenclaw had defeated Hufflepuff, and the next Hogsmeade trip and Christmas were fast approaching. The decorations were going up all around the castle, and the warmth of Christmas joy was spreading despite the freezing temperatures outside.

Mina was miserable.

Her father had sent a rather short letter saying that he was going to be in Australia and later India this month, so she had best just stay at Hogwarts for Christmas rather than go home to an empty castle. No one else she knew was staying. Even Black was going home with Potter this holiday.

And to top things off, Black was making a right nuisance of himself. He was running around everywhere with mistletoe kissing every girl in sight. Rumour was that he had plans of kissing every girl in Hogwarts. Lily, Mina, and Sally had no intention of letting that happen.

They did their best to avoid him, staying in their dormitory or in the library rather than the common room. They practically shot out of classes so he couldn't catch them at the door. The stuck together as much as possible so that one of them would be able to see him coming and stop him.

Yet Mina felt something was off. He was definitely trying to get Lily and Sally, but he had every opportunity to catch her with his awful mistletoe and never did. Quidditch practice was a sure way for him to attack, as the locker rooms were small, and then there was the long walk to and from the castle where he could easily catch up to her. He had already kissed Ella and Gwen this way, but he never even tried to get Mina.

Mina barely had to work at not speaking to him because it seemed that he wasn't speaking to her. He no longer tried to talk to her in Divination. He didn't pester her at the table in the Great Hall. He didn't even come within five feet of her in the halls or the common room. It was driving Mina insane. After the match against Slytherin she was sure that he would try to talk to her more, but it was just the opposite.

-------

A few days before the trip to Hogsmeade, bad news came. Sirius had managed to snog Sally.

"It wasn't even just a kiss like he does with most of the other girls," she was ranting when they left Potions and were on their way up to Gryffindor Tower. "He actually used his tongue! That tosser!"

"He isn't going to get me!" Lily vowed once again. "What about you, Mina? Still untouched by Black?"

"He hasn't even tried," Mina said blandly.

"Surely that is a good thing," Sally said.

"I guess. Just don't call me Shirley."

"All right!" Lily said. "Don't start with the name puns. We have a serious problem here."

Mina and Sally exchanged glances then burst out laughing.

"You know what I meant! Stop that!"

"Well, it is Sirius that is the problem," Sally said trying to control her laughter.

"Thus making it a Sirius problem," Mina said before giving in to another fit of giggles.

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Lily gave in and started laughing as well. "All right, we have to stop laughing." Another fit of laughter. "I don't think this is the time for this."

"Time flies like an arrow," Mina gasped out between giggles. "Fruit flies like a banana."

They all stopped laughing. Lily and Sally looked at each other then stared at Mina.

"What?" Sally asked.

"Where did that come from?" Lily demanded.

"You said this wasn't the time, and time does tend to fly like an arrow. It's a fairly common expression. But fruit flies like a banana."

"I don't think I'm going to even try to understand that, Mina," said Lily. "At least you managed to stop the jocularity."

"Oh but Lily, 'tis the season for jocularity," Sally argued with a smile.

"That is just the sort of attitude that encourages Black."

"Has Potter tried to catch you with mistletoe?" Sally said.

"Almost as much as Black. Please don't remind me. Christmas pudding," Lily told the Fat Lady when they arrived at her portrait.

The portrait swung open and Mina went through first. Standing right on the other side was Black with his mistletoe.

"Excuse me, Collins," he said pushing her aside and hanging the wretched plant over Lily's head. "Pucker up, Evans."

Lily glared, but nevertheless reached up and placed a light kiss on his mouth. He allowed the peck—no doubt for James' benefit. But in that brief instance while he was distracted, she swung her knee up to his most private area.

Black let out a grunt and doubled over in pain. Lily and Sally walked past him and straight to the fire. While still hunched over Sirius and Mina stared at each other. He was the one to break the eye contact, and he hobbled over to his usual corner with his mates. Mina walked over to the fire and took her usual place on the floor.

"Don't say anything. You were right," Lily said as Mina plopped on the floor without even an attempt at grace. "Why isn't he trying to kiss you?"

"I'm an ugly hag?" Mina suggested and was rewarded with a pillow in the face.

"You are not," Lily said.

"I know. But I will be one day; I've always wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West."

"And have your skin a horrid shade of Slytherin green?" Lily looked rather incredulous. "Never!"

"Gosh Lily! When you put it like _that_… Crush my dreams, why don't you? Next you are going to tell me that there is no Santa Claus!" Mina threw the pillow back at Lily.

"Can we get back to the original question?" Sally asked as she sat flattened against one side of the couch to avoid the projectile pillows.

"Which was?" Mina asked.

"Why_ isn't_ Black trying to snog Mina?"

"Or, more importantly, _why_ is this a problem?" Mina said. "So he isn't trying to kiss me. I'm not complaining."

"Which presents another problem," Lily said. "You love to complain. Why aren't you complaining?"

"It's not worth wasting breath over. It would be like you complaining that Potter is dating someone else and has stopped going after you. Can we move on?"

"Wait!" Sally burst out. She then started to laugh. "Fruit _flies_ _like_ a banana! I get it now! Puns!"

Mina grinned and soon started to laugh as well.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I even bother with you two anymore."

-------

Black almost succeeded in kissing every girl in the castle—except Mina—but was unable to complete his goal when McGonagall confiscated his mistletoe. There were at least two-dozen Ravenclaws and Slytherin girls who had managed to avoid him and his Christmas cheer. Yet he did manage to achieve an entry in the record books for being the first student to kiss McGonagall, before she took the seasonal plant from him. Rumour was that he intended to try again next year—to kiss every girl, including McGonagall.

-------

It was Christmas Eve day, and Mina was wandering around the castle alone. She talked to the portraits to see if they knew of any secret passages or shortcuts around the castle. She discovered quite a few with their help—most they said were frequented by Potter and Company.

She wandered back up to the seventh floor and heard her name as she walked past a man-sized vase. She turned and saw Professor Mopsus.

"Good afternoon, Professor," she said politely.

"Good afternoon, Miss Collins. All alone during the holidays?"

"Yes sir."

"Come up to my classroom. We'll have a cup of tea. Perhaps we may get a glimpse of what is yet to be." He winked.

She followed his up to the classroom. The fire was blazing with the smell of pine. The drapes were open and offered a beautiful view of the falling snow and white covered grounds.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the old professor said sitting down at a table by both window and fire. He motioned for her to take a seat across from him.

"Very. I love the snow."

"I know." He gave a low chuckle. "I can tell just by the way you look at it. It isn't all about the Inner Eye. Some things are just about reading people."

"Sir, at the first lesson, when you grouped us off…"

"Yes?"

"Was that reading people, or was that really visions seen with the Inner Eye?"

"Ah, yes. Most of the time it is just reading people. Sometimes I pick names at random. But sometimes I do catch glimpses of things."

"And what was it with me?"

He chuckled again. "Yes, you would ask me that. You don't like those two boys very much, but you _do_ like them at the same time. But everything I said then I did See. The dog and the huntress on the potter's wheel. Somehow you are connected."

"Oh."

"But who can say what that means. Some of my profession will try to read things into it. I don't. Dumbledore has said it many times and I agree with him: it is our choices that define who we are, what we will become. Fate stirs things up every now and then, but that is all. You yourself saw the Grim. Forgive me for being bold, but have you died yet, my dear?"

Mina laughed. "No sir. Last I checked I was very much alive. Sir, if I'm not being too bold, have you seen anything else about me? I always get the feeling that you have."

"A Seer with intuition as well, I believe you could go far in the profession should you choose. I will not lie. I have sensed many things about you and your future. Love, pain, and death. They all seem to shadow your future."

"That's all life is, isn't it?"

"Yes, but the time it takes to happen makes the difference."

"So I do die young?"

"I cannot be sure, but it does hang over your near future. Do not think about it. It could be you, or it could be someone else. Go outside, enjoy the snow. Live in whatever time you are given."

"Carpe diem."

"Exactly."

"Well, sir, you did say you would read my tea leaves. If there is death hanging over my future, they might give clues as to where I'll find it."

He took her cup. "There is the sword, a dispute or quarrel between lovers. Then there is a serpent, bad luck or an enemy. And then the comet, misfortune and trouble."

"No Grim?"

"No."

"Well, I don't have a lover or even a boyfriend, You Know Who is rather snakelike and is becoming everyone's enemy right now, and when is there not misfortune?"

"An excellent interpretation, my dear. Now run along. It is time for my afternoon nap."

"Yes sir. Thank you for the tea and everything."

-------

Christmas morning brought Mina a large, dark red cloak and Indian incense from her father, a broom servicing kit from Lily, a book on defence against the dark arts from Remus, and a note from Sally saying that her gift was coming in person when she got back to Hogwarts.

After putting her presents away, Mina went outside and trudged through the snow. She wasn't too far from the castle when she was attacked by a large black dog.

"Down Lady!" Hagrid came up and Mina got a better look at her attacker. It was a beautiful mastiff that had decided to rain Mina with drool and dog kisses, and naturally had to jump up on her to do it.

"Sorry 'bout that," Hagrid said. "Lady gets up to all sorts of trouble."

"She's lovely, Hagrid. I don't mind," she said as she finally got the dog to settle down enough to pet her. "I love dogs."

"Why don't you come and have a cup o' tea?"

Mina accepted the invitation and had a lovely Christmas morning. They mostly talked about Lady and dogs in general. Lady had a few more years left in life, but after she died Hagrid had plans to get a boarhound.

"Know a fella tha' breeds real nice ones," he said.

"I hate to think of animals dying," Mina said while stroking Lady's head, which the dog had decided to put in Mina's lap.

"So do I, bu' it 'appens. Jus' 'ave to make life good for them while they're 'ere."

"Do you think you'll ever get a dragon, Hagrid?" Mina turned the subject back to something happy so that she didn't get too depressed brooding over mortality. It seemed to be appearing in conversations a lot recently. _Such a happy thing during Christmas_, Mina thought sarcastically. _But then again, if it was good enough for Scrooge… there is no avoiding it now._

Unfortunately the morning had one not so pleasant turn as midday came. There were so few students staying for the holiday that everyone, including teachers, sat at just one table for the Christmas feast. And Mina was stuck sitting next to Snape. And they both seemed to eat quickly just to get away from each other that they ended up finishing at the same time and leaving together.

As Mina headed for the marble stairs, Snape had a few things to say.

"Your parents can't stand you enough to have you home for the holidays?" he sneered. "Well, who can blame them when they have such an incompetent child?"

"Actually," she said with a false sweetness, "my mother is dead, and my father is doing business in India. By having me stay here he's actually showing that he cares. What about your father? Won't let you go home until you wash your hair?"

"Don't you dare talk about my family, you filthy blood traitor!"

"Fine. Don't talk about mine either. The way I see it we are about equal. Whether they just don't care, or are always elsewhere, we both have parents that aren't there when we need them. Just two lonely kids without friends or family at a time of year meant for celebrating friends and family. Now if you don't mind, I'm late for a game of chess with myself. Happy Christmas!"

Leaving an open-jawed, slimy git standing in the Entry Hall, Mina bounced up the stairs and skipped down the hall out of sight. She felt she had held up her bargain with Lily to be nice to the Slytherin, as she could have hexed him into oblivion for the things he had said—well, not really, she wasn't that good and he was an amazing dueller. She felt proud that she was able to hit his mean remark back with sarcasm and hidden sympathy. Let him choke on that. After all, she wasn't all that much better off than he was.

-------

It wasn't too long before students started to come back. Sally came back with a present well worth the wait.

"It is a portable telly and video recorder, but it is entirely run by magic. So it still works on Hogwarts grounds." She positively beamed while Mina could only stare in wonder.

"It's a magical device that picks up muggle television?" Mina just wanted to clarify things.

"Yes."

"And you have already recorded the first two parts of the newest Doctor Who?"

"Yes. You are going to love the new doctor!"

Mina attacked Sally with a huge hug. "You are the best!"

"I know." She patted Mina's back.

Mina pulled away and started to fiddle with her new gadget. "How did you get this?"

"My crazy uncle works in the Ministry with this just as crazy assistant. They love muggle stuff and can't help but tinker with it. Uncle Badger has been going on for days about this Weasley's ideas for enchanting a car to fly."

"Well, why not? It seems rather sensible." She paused for a moment. "Provided they can make sure no muggle every sees it flying, and they can get around the laws for misuse of muggle items. This," she held up the hand sized telly, "this is pushing the bounds of legality. You are trying to make be a criminal, I knew it!"

"Don't worry. They write the laws and that is perfectly legal. Muggles don't have anything like it, so it can't be mistaken for a muggle item. And even if they did come up with anything like it, you can be sure it won't look like that. It is a nice little bauble that just happens to pick up and record any muggle program you want."

"Oh yes, it just _happens_ to do that." The two girls laughed.

-------

Around mid-January, Mina woke up late at night from weird dreams forgotten with consciousness and a very hungry stomach. Carefully, she stealthily creeped down to the kitchens. Apparently she wasn't the only one in need of a late night snack from the house elves: Sirius Black sat at a table with a bowl of apples.

"Do you mind if I have one?" Mina asked.

He just waved his hand, and Mina took it as a yes. She sat down and picked an apple from the bowl.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Bad dreams and an empty stomach. You?"

"Same."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Mina just caved in.

"All right," she said. "Something is going on. You haven't talked to me, pestered me, or even scared me half to death in almost two months. What's wrong?"

He looked up and blinked. He seemed to be getting upset. "What's wrong? You are what's bloody wrong! Why should you even care if I'm not talking to you? It's not like we were best of friends before. You would yell at me to stop pestering you, and now you want to know why I stopped? We were all nothing but friendly to you and then you turn into Miss Ice Queen, with some all-holier-than-thou attitude problem."

Now she was getting angry and defensive as well. "You were hexing first years—for fun! Just swinging your wands about not caring who you hit or what you hit them with. At first I thought you were okay, just a bunch of jokers. Turns out Remus is the only decent one of the lot. You are arrogant, mean, egotistical, selfish, self-centred, cruel, and completely thoughtless!"

"You're repeating yourself."

"Don't interrupt!" She was yelling now. "You just don't get it! I haven't talked to you as a friend because there is no way I can be friends with a _bullying halfwit_!"

"_Halfwit_?" He too was yelling, making the house elves look on in fright. "_I'm_ not the one struggling through every class but the two most useless of the lot!"

"No, you are the wanking pureblood with no feelings for others! Especially if you count those classes as useless!"

"You are a conceited bint!"

"At least I'm not some sort of narcissistic whore throwing myself all over the easiest pairs of lips in the castle."

"No one would want such a frigid tight-arse!"

"Good! Cause if they are anything like you I _wouldn't want them_!"

"Well _no one_ would want a lying bitch!"

"_When_ have I lied?"

"Just after the match against Slytherin! Oh, don't apologise to me, Sirius. I don't blame you for me falling off my broom! Then you go telling everyone that it was all my fault!"

"I never!"

"In Potions. To Evans."

"Because Lily Evans is _everyone_! Good gods, Black! How thick are you? I only said that to her because she was worried about how I was handling everyone talking about my newest failure behind my back! Or haven't you noticed that I can't do anything right? Oh wait! You did! I'm horrible in most of my classes, I can't defend myself against Slytherins and their hexes, I can't beat a Hufflepuff to the snitch, and now I can't even stay on a bloody broom! Duh I'm going to blame someone else when put under the Miss Perfect Lily Evans spotlight! Even when I know that it is complete bollocks to do so! I'm just a stupid bint!"

She threw the half-eaten apple at him, whacking him straight in the forehead.

He picked up his wand and pointed it at her. Neither of them moved.

Mina waited for him to prove her right, to hex her then and there while she was defenceless. But he slowly lowered the wand and sat down with his back to her. Not knowing what else to do, she ran. She ran and somehow managed not to meet any teachers or prefects patrolling the halls. She ran all the way back up to her bed. She pulled the covers high around her, clutching the stuffed dog tight against her.

-------

The next morning Sirius didn't say anything to his friends. James watched as he just took spoonful after spoonful of porridge only to let it plop back down in the bowl without ever nearing his mouth.

"Sirius," James said through a mouthful of toast. "Did you take my cloak last night?"

"Yes. All right?"

"Nothing, mate. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't loosing my mind, as it was not where I remember putting it. Where'd you go? Is there a brilliant prank about to befall the unsuspecting Slytherins?"

"No. I was hungry."

"You don't look hungry now," Peter observed as Sirius let another bit or porridge slip off the spoon. "You look mad."

"You didn't meet anyone in the kitchens, did you?" Remus asked.

"No. See you guys in class." He got up and left the Great Hall.

"What makes you think he met someone, Moony?" James asked.

Remus pointed down the table to three of the Gryffindor fourth years.

"You think Evans kicked him again?"

"Not her. Look carefully at the girls and tell me how they look."

"Evans' hair is glowing this morning. In the light it looks like fire dancing a pastoral jig…"

"James!" Remus interrupted. "I don't need a trashy romance novel description of Lily Evans—and a bad one at that. Just look at how all three are acting this morning."

He watched for a few moments and did notice a difference. "Evans and Sparrow keep looking at each other behind Collins' back. Blimey, Collins doesn't look happy."

"She isn't eating either," Peter said.

"You think they had a row or something?" James looked to his wiser friend.

"I'll try to find out from her. It should be easier than getting Sirius to crack."

"That's true," Peter said in some strange attempt at sage wisdom.

"I'll try with him anyways, I think." Remus got up and left.

After Charms, Remus went running after Sirius while James and Peter walked a bit slower. They were right behind Evans, and with such a beautiful view why bother walking ahead?

"Potter," she suddenly turned and faced him. "Stop staring at my arse."

"But it is so…"

"Don't even finish that thought, Potter," she interrupted.

"How's Collins?" He had to distract her.

"What do you mean?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Sirius is making Moaning Myrtle look like the happiest person in the castle. And we couldn't help but notice that Collins is the same."

"I wondered. We went to bed fine…"

"And they woke up about as happy as someone getting a tooth pulled. I think we should find out what is going on. Do you think Mina will tell you? I don't think we'll be able to get anything out of Sirius."

"No. She's being tighter than an oyster. When she doesn't want to say something, she won't. She's got a talent for keeping quiet about important things. And she can be stubborn as a mule."

"Same with Sirius."

"I think they like each other," Peter said.

"What?" James and Lily said in unison.

"It must be love."

"That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard," James said.

"Mina does _not_ like Black," Lily said.

"It's just a thought," Peter mumbled.

"So, do we force the truth out of them, or bang their heads together until they can get along again?" James asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of making this dilemma fun.

"Neither, Potter." Evans sounded mad again. "We let them handle it. It is none of our business if they don't want to say anything."

"But…"

"No! If I even suspect you are doing something that involves Mina, I will personally see to it that you never have children." She turned and walked off.

"Why do girls have to be so complicated, Pete? Why? Why do I even bother?"

"Because you like her?"

"You're a good man, Pete."

* * *

_Yes, I'm evil. But things have been leading up to the big fight. Yet do not despair! This just means when they make up it is that much better. Review please!_


	10. End of the Fight

_I would have had this chapter up yesterday, but my stupid internet was down. Well, better late than never. Let me know if you like it!_**  
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**February-June 1975**

**Hogwarts**

Sirius was being watched again. He was trying to hit on a rather cute fifth year Ravenclaw, but he could feel eyes fixed on his back. He concentrated and arranged a meeting time for a snog that evening. The eyes followed him out of the courtyard and back into the castle. He could still feel the eyes as he climbed up to the seventh floor. When he reached his dormitory, he still wasn't free, as James Potter and his four eyes walked in right behind him.

For the past two and a half weeks, James had been keeping his eyes fixed on Sirius. It had all started after that bloody harpy threw that apple at his head. But after three days of his mates' constant questions he started to act as if nothing was wrong. He still wanted to hex that… that thing into oblivion, but he couldn't let it show if he didn't want someone to ship him off to St. Mungo's. So to act "fine" enough for James "Meddle-Pants" Potter, he did the only thing he could think of—start snogging all the girls who would say yes. Maybe that stupid bird would realise that he was the most wanted bloke in school, and that she should pay some attention to him. An apology would be nice too—she should be a beater with that arm.

But James wasn't thrown off the scent by his act; he still saw how they treated each other in Divination, stupid class. And so everywhere Sirius went save the loo, those four eyes followed him. Good thing the boy-spy wasn't a prefect or anything, or Sirius would be losing house points left and right… or really blonde and brunette, as that was what was keeping him out past curfew almost every night.

And now James had that "we have to talk" look about him. Sirius could tell from the hands moving constantly between pockets and hair, the way he was starting to pace, and that rarely seen fiddling with his glasses that meant he was thinking. When James Potter was thinking it never was a good thing.

"All right," he said with another ruffle of his hair. "You try to seem like you are fine, but I am sensing some definite not fineness going on again. And I don't think it will be solved with more pranks this time."

"Maybe I'm not fine because you keep haunting everything I do," Sirius said, attempting to sound smooth and confident. He didn't want to give James the advantage of knowing that he was getting irritated.

"Nope. You'd just punch me for that. The lack of violence further points to your state of un-fineness. And Collins isn't fine either. Seems like last time you were not fine she was a bit peaky… There's a pattern here."

"No shit Sherlock." Sirius was just going to give in at this point. James was obviously working it out, and Sirius needed someone on his side.

"But she never talks to us. Why would you… and she… what?"

"She finally cracked about that stony silence of hers."

"Really?"

"Apparently I'm a selfish, arrogant, bullying halfwit—oh, and a pureblood. She also implied you were as well, as she said Remus is the only decent one of us. And then she threw an apple at my head!"

"She threw… Collins? Violent? What did you say to her?" James narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, Sirius," Remus said as he walked into the room. "Do tell what you said to Miss Collins."

The werewolf folded his arms across his chest and looked at Sirius with _that_ look again. James looked from one to the other, and it looked like he wasn't going to side with Sirius. Bugger.

"Nothing," he mumbled while sitting on his bed.

"Oh," Remus said in a carefully surprised voice—this wasn't going to be pleasant. "So calling her an Ice Queen, a bint, a bitch, a liar, and useless is nothing. Interesting. I'll have to remember that."

James looked back and forth again, quicker this time. Every thing about him was making Sirius' fight or flight instincts to kick in—mostly flight.

"You…"

"I've got to say, Sirius, that what she called you was nothing—considering it was the truth." How could Remus be so easy about this? Something else was coming and it was not going to be pretty.

"I'm not a halfwit," Sirius said pathetically.

"No!" James shouted. "You are a complete pillock! A berk and a wanker! You arsehole!" Running out of swear words in his anger, he was waving his arms about again. "You insulted a Gryffindor girl! You just don't do that! No matter what they say, _you _don't lose your cool! You're a Gryffindor! You defend the girls no matter what! Instead you're picking a fight like a Slytherin!"

"I didn't hex her!" Sirius shouted to give him some sort of moral standing. As much as he hated to admit it, James and Remus did have the high ground.

"You almost hexed her?" Remus looked livid.

"But didn't! I turned my back."

"I'm going to have to agree with James. You are acting like a Slytherin. Even Mina said so."

"What?" Sirius said. Out of anything she could say behind his back to turn his friends against him, that was the worst.

"More along the lines of 'what makes him different from the Slytherins?'. It was in reference to you habit of hexing people in the halls, but I'm starting to disagree. You're just Slytherin all around."

Out of nowhere, James fist came colliding into Sirius' face.

"What the…" Sirius managed to get out before the fist hit again. And third time apparently was the charm.

"Now remember that next time you are a complete wanker and decide to act like a Slytherin," James said.

Wanting more than anything to punch those glasses right off of James' face, Sirius stormed out of the dormitory and Gryffindor Tower.

-------

Mina was coming upstairs from a Saturday morning detention with Slughorn—or rather a detention Slughorn gave her (for blowing up a potion in class yet again) and monitored by a Slytherin prefect—when she heard shouts of spells from around a corner. She peered around it and saw four sixth year Slytherins fighting one Sirius Black. Normally she would have left, as four Slytherins of any year were no match for any of those four (well… three, Peter could only handle one or two at most), but it looked like Black wasn't doing too well.

As much as she still would have liked to leave, she couldn't let the little berk die at the hands of a Slytherin, let alone four. But neither could she just rush in and help. Thinking quickly, she noticed a suit of armour right next to her. She pushed it over as loudly as she could. The sounds of fighting stopped. Time for step two.

"Sorry about that professor, I guess I wasn't looking where I was going," she said loudly. "I'll set it right."

She did a quick spell to put the armour back up and then looked around the corner again. The Slytherins were gone. Black was picking himself up using the wall for a support. He definitely needed help. Bugger.

"Your welcome," she said striding over to him.

He looked up, and Mina had to use every once of self-control not to hiss in empathy. He had an impressively large black eye and swollen jaw, and from the way he was moving more bruises were forming all over. He squinted at her and then drew back. But in doing so his back hit the wall a little too quickly and he winced in pain.

"Oh, it's you," he said.

"So it would seem."

"What do you want?"

"A puppy, a new set of dress robes, world peace… but really, right now I think I'd rather just have a piece of cake."

She couldn't be certain, but for a very brief moment she thought she saw a smile starting before he flinched again in pain.

"All right, I'm helping you walk as you can't do it on your own."

"No!"

"I'd get someone else to do it, but I'm afraid you'll only do yourself _another_ injury in my absence."

"No, I don't need your help. I'll fine."

"Bollocks!" She put his arm over her shoulders and wrapped an arm carefully around his back. "You have my permission to lean on me… just not too hard. I'm just a little seeker."

"With the arm of a beater," he mumbled as they started hobbling along. He stopped when she started towards a staircase going down. "The tower is upstairs."

"And the Hospital Wing is downstairs. As I'm the one piloting this boat, you don't have any say in where we are going. Now shift."

In Mina's opinion it was a miracle that they made it down the stairs. They had another set to tackle before they were on the first floor. Joy.

"Time was you could handle a gang of Slytherins. How'd they get your face to look like a swollen sunset?"

"They didn't. It's compliments of James Potter."

"James? Why would…"

"Conduct unbefitting a Gryffindor, which is why you should have just left me."

"Ah, but that would have _me_ guilty of conduct unbefitting a Gryffindor. What did you do that got him so angry?"

He stopped and just looked at her.

"What?" she asked, unnerved by his stare—especially with one eye red with blood. Then it dawned on her. "Oh, me."

"You told Remus, he told James, James punched me—three times."

"You stupid boys and your chivalry. I didn't mean to tell Remus, just so you know. He's been following my every move for weeks, and when he's not following me he's asking me questions. I just… I didn't know this was going to happen. They didn't need to… Merlin, I already hit you myself. Can't they let me have the satisfaction of getting… satisfaction?" Her mouth paused as they started moving again.

"James has been following me for weeks too."

She glanced at him and they laughed.

"So if James hit you, why were you fighting that gang of green thugs?"

"I don't know. Trying to redeem myself, I guess."

"Right… You're just digging yourself deeper." She thought she felt him put more weight on her, as if deflating slightly. She tried to keep her tone light even if the words were heavy. "Stop trying to prove yourself, because every attempt just puts you that closer to Slytherin. You just need to be the Gryffindor you are, or in other words, be yourself."

They navigated down the other set of stairs. It was only a short walk to the Hospital Wing. As they walked in Madame Pomfrey came over at her usual quick trot.

"And what has happened to you, Mr. Black? Or do I even want to ask?"

"Poppy, my sweet." Sirius sounded like some sort of actor on a stage. "You know me. I just can't seem to persuade myself to stay out of trouble."

He then passed out, Mina struggling to keep him up, and the school nurse promptly helped Mina get the boy into a bed.

"It seems he's been through more than usual," Madame Pomfrey said. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"Not really. There were Slytherins. I couldn't tell who."

"I should have guessed. I think a rib might be broken, maybe two. Well, it shouldn't take long, but I'll keep him here overnight just in case."

"Can I stay? Just until he wakes up?"

The older witch looked at her. "I think so, if you help keep him here until I say he can go. I don't want him sneaking out again."

Mina smiled. "I'll do my best. Maybe I should keep his wand in my pocket for now."

Pomfrey laughed. "At last someone to outwit this trouble maker."

-------

When Sirius awoke the first thing he noticed was how dark it was. He noticed that he was in the Hospital Wing, and that the sky through the windows was dark. How long had he been out? From the rumble of his stomach, too long. He looked around and saw Collins reading on the bed next to him by the light of the lamp set between the beds.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"What are you still doing here?"

"Such gratitude. I'm overwhelmed."

"No, really, what are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stick around to make sure you were all right. And I brought you dinner since you missed it." She pointed to a tray of food next to the lamp.

Sirius immediately got up, being only a little stiff now, and started to wolf down the food. He stopped when he saw Collins pull out an apple.

"What?" she asked when she saw him staring.

"I'm waiting for you to put that down."

She looked at the apple and broke out laughing. Sirius thought it was a rather nice laugh, quiet yet not, and not annoying like most of the girls he snogged. Then he remembered.

"Bugger!"

"What?" she asked again.

"I told… oh, what's her name… I told her I'd meet her."

"Sorry, but you won't be snogging the muppet of the week tonight."

"How are you going to stop me?" He reached for his wand. He looked around but it was nowhere to be found. Then Collins pulled it out of her robes.

"Looking for something?"

"Oh you little…"

"I have been given orders to make sure you stay in bed, and have been allowed to take any course of action I believe necessary to do so." She smiled an evil sort of scheming smile.

"Oh that's just not fair!"

"Nope," she said shaking her head.

They were silent for a few minutes. Then there was something he had to ask.

"So are we…"

"Right back to where we started, I think. You were right. I was a bit of a hypocrite, and more than a bit of a bitch."

"No, you aren't… If you were you wouldn't have helped me here, never mind staying here so long while I was asleep." He paused. "So are we talking again?"

"No. I still want to see you show something that means you are a Gryffindor. What have you done that makes you different from the Slytherins?"

He thought about it. He couldn't find any answer to give her.

She continued. "We'll just go back to normal, if only to get those eyes to stop following us everywhere."

"At least you only had two following you."

She seemed to think about this for a minute and then laughed. He decided he liked making her laugh. Maybe that would prove he was better than those nasty dungeon dwellers.

"And I also want you to promise me that you won't do anything to James or Remus."

"But…"

"They are your mates. I am sick of you boys fighting over me… or for me… or... whatever."

"All right," he grudgingly promised.

"And then I'm going to show you how a truly good prank is done."

He looked at her and saw a plotting face. There was something about the turn of the lips and the slightly raised eyebrows that was all too familiar to a prankster.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. Just keep your eyes open in the coming week."

"It isn't going to involve Valentine's Day, is it?"

"No, I… I… er, sort of have a date."

"With who?" He suddenly felt disappointed and upset at the same time.

"Greg. He brought it up in class and I said yes." He did, however, take satisfaction that she didn't sound blissfully happy about it. "Who are you going with?" she asked.

"Why go with one girl when I can just grab a bunch during the day?"

"You are going to break up other dates?"

"Yes."

"All right." She didn't seem to be too happy about it, but at least she wasn't yelling… or throwing that apple core at his head.

"But that's only if the lovely Minnie turns me down," he added.

"Minnie? Oh my… You wouldn't…"

"I have every intention of asking the strikingly beautiful Minerva McGonagall to be my date on Valentine's Day."

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh but I am." He winked.

A pillow came flying at his head—much more pleasant than an apple.

-------

A few days later, a mysterious string of accidents and pranks started happening to James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. At dinner their food would turn into pincushions or handkerchiefs. Their pumpkin juice would turn to water or old milk. There would be a sudden draught in class sending their notes flying. In fact, after the third time it happened to James and Peter in Transfiguration the boys were given detention for their constant disruptions. In History of Magic, the parchment James was doodling Lily Evans' name all over caught fire. Remus would get to class early and find books missing, and then they would appear in his mates' bags when they arrived at class. Water fell on them from nowhere. Peter tripped on a banana peel on three separate occasions. James woke up one morning with glasses drawn on his face in ink. All of Remus' cardigans turned pink for two days. By the time they had all of their bags filled with rather rude Valentines, James decided to call a council of war.

"Someone is having a laugh right now, and I want to get them back!" James said.

"You guys are just over reacting," Sirius said coolly.

"You're one to talk!" Remus had long lost his usual calmness. Between the missing book scares and his favourite cardigan staying pink a day longer than the others, he was like a madman. "We have been pranked time and time again for a week. All of us except for you!"

"I think Collins is doing it again," Peter said. Sirius looked at him with a smirk.

"No," James dismissed immediately. "We've already established that she doesn't do this sort of thing. And anyways, I'd think that right now she would want to get Sirius most of all."

Peter looked over at Sirius who just shrugged his shoulders.

"But it has to be a Gryffindor," Remus insisted. "No one else could have gotten in here to bewitch my cardigans."

"Or draw on my face," James added.

"Or put that banana peel by Pete's bed," Sirius added with a grin.

"Right," James said. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Nothing," Sirius said and everyone stared at him. "We have no idea who it is. It could be a whole group of people. So I don't think we should go around hexing anyone just because we _think_ they _might_ have done it."

"Who are you and what have you done with Sirius Black?" Remus asked.

"Maybe James finally pounded some sense into me."

The three boys just shook their heads and laughed. Just then a school owl flew into the room. It dropped a letter addressed to the fourth year Gryffindor boys and left. James picked up and opened the letter.

"Beware the corridors," he read.

"Is that all it says?" Remus said taking the note.

"That's all it says," James said.

"That's a bit vague," Sirius said. But as the boys just laughed it off, Sirius made a mental note to let them go first in the corridors. Collins may not be top in the class, but she certainly was a genius with pranks.

When they all left the Tower to go to dinner, Sirius let them go out the portrait hole first. When he did come out, all three boys' faces were covered in what looked to be cream pies. Sirius barked with laughter. That girl was a genius!

-------

Valentine's Day was a Friday and the next day was a trip to Hogsmeade. So on Saturday, Mina got dressed and met Greg in the Entry Hall. They talked about Quidditch for the walk to the village, but Mina couldn't help thinking that Greg was more than a little dense. He kept getting names and teams wrong, and it took every ounce of effort not to correct him. But things only got worse once they got to the village. He took her to Madam Puddifoot's, a place that looked like a Victorian valentine gone wrong. It was dreadfully dull. The only excitement came from Sirius Black waltzing in (literally), and breaking up the couples with words and kisses that made things awkward. Unfortunately he didn't go near the one couple that Mina wanted him to—her and Greg.

In fact, once things had actually gotten interesting (swooning girls, girls trying to pacify their boyfriends, angry boyfriends, and the owner of the shop trying to get Black to leave) Greg decided he wanted to leave. They walked a ways in Hogsmeade when Mina spotted Remus. Once he saw her she mouthed the word 'help' and hoped that he got the message. A few moments later he came striding over with James.

"Hi Mina, Greg," Remus nodded.

"Hello Lupin," Greg said, trying to sound polite. "Did you want something?"

"Actually," James said, "I needed to talk to Mina about the game next week. You don't mind if I pull her away, do you? I don't want Hufflepuff learning our secrets."

"You aren't captain," Greg stated dumbly.

"He's practically captain," Mina said. "Sorry Greg. I had fun." She walked off with Remus and James. When they were out of earshot of the Hufflepuff Mina let out a sigh. "Thank you! I've never been more bored in my life. I can't wait until this year is over and I don't have to work with him anymore."

"Why did you even agree to go out with him?" Remus asked.

"He hedged around it that I had no idea what he was talking about, and then it just ended up happening. Never again, I can promise you that."

"Well, we left Pete in Honeyduke's," James said. "Shall we go rescue him?"

While they all agreed to the affirmative, James turned to Mina. "So he's more boring that old Binns?"

"Of course. At least with Binns you can doodle on your notes. And his classroom doesn't have all that lace." She shuddered. "When you get Lily to go out with you, please remember never to take her there."

"You think I have a chance?" James brightened.

"One day… maybe," she said, but it didn't deter him from his new good mood.

-------

The rest of the year went without much incident. Quidditch was back to normal as Gryffindor thrashed Hufflepuff without much effort. Robins cried when they won the Cup for his last year on the team. James and Sirius still hexed people for fun, but it was starting to decrease to just Slytherins and the occasional Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Mina started talking to them more, but just in Divination. All in all, the year's drama had ended with the sudden cramming for end of the year exams and things were back to what passed for normal at Hogwarts.

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_I apologise for the rushed end of the year. Nothing really exciting happened, and what happens over the summer gets more fun so I thought I'd focus more on that. Plus, fifth year is far more exciting-- let's just say that Sirius and Mina are going to be spending a lot of time together. If you would like to make me a happy, speedy writer please review!_


	11. Sirius Summer

_Because I haven't put one up in a while... General disclaimer: all HP characters and stuff belong to JKR and WB, the Collins family belongs to MGM and the deceased Dan Curtis, Monty Python belongs to Monty Python, Young Frankenstein belongs to Mel Brooks, Doctor Who belongs to BBC, and any other things I may have drawn upon for inspiration belong to their respective owners. You'd think that a disclaimer wasn't necessary as this is FANfiction. Oh well, sometimes they are fun to write._**  
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**Diary of Mina Collins**

**Summer 1975**

3 July

Papa left today for Cardiff. He promised to come back in a week. I don't think he'll keep that promise. When I complained about how often he is working he just said that it is for me, that living in a castle is not cheap. I could tell that it was just an excuse. I don't know how long I'll stay at Allerton if he keeps leaving. I hate being alone in this huge place.

Sometimes I wish that those four boys could be here. That would liven things up. I want to start talking to them again. I may just give in and do it next year. They _are_ sweet underneath it all—they'd probably kill me if they heard me use the word sweet to describe them. It isn't manly enough for them. Dashing, funny, gorgeous—those are acceptable words of description. I don't think sweet and cuddly fits in. Although, Sirius did give me that stuffed dog. It never leaves my bed. I don't think I ever mentioned that it is of my favourite breed of dog, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I wish I could have one or two. But not while I'm at school. Besides, I still have Mr. Edgar—who is currently sitting in my lap and couldn't be happier. At least I think he is happy. It can get so hard to tell.

17 July

A letter from Papa came. He won't be back in England until late September so I am to go where I like. I think he means for me to visit friends, but Sally is in America visiting her brother, Lily and her family have gone on holiday in France, I got a letter from Remus saying he is in Italy with James (who knows why), and there is no one else I am friends enough with to visit. I suppose I'll just stay here.

31 July

So I lied. I am packing my bags and going to London. This place is driving me insane. So for my own mental health I'm going to spend the rest of my summer at the Leaky Cauldron. At least in London there are things to do, and people everywhere doing them. I think if I don't speak to another living being soon I may forget how to speak completely.

So tomorrow I catch a bus and am out of here. I've ridden the Knight Bus so much that they know my name and what year student I am. That's just embarrassing. Most kids my age haven't even heard of the bus.

-------

**August 1975**

**Diagon Alley**

Sirius walked past Gringotts for what felt the millionth time. Really it was only the sixth today, but he had been walking around Diagon Alley for two days and was bored out of his mind. His summer at home had been its usual nightmare, and so on the last day of July he packed his bags and left. As long as he came back next year they wouldn't care. His parents were probably glad that their disgrace of a son had gone.

While he was looking up at the wizard bank, Sirius felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked around and saw no one there. Then there was another tap on the other shoulder. He turned that way—no one. Finally he turned when he heard a familiar laugh.

"Hi!" Collins waved and had a huge grin on her face. Cheeky little...

"Collins. What are you doing here? Don't you have a castle to live in?"

"Yes, but my father had to leave again, and the empty place was driving me insane with boredom. So I came here. What are you doing here?"

"Same. Couldn't stand another minute in that dark place with their pureblood mania, and Regulus keeps talking about following Voldemort and becoming one of his Death Eaters. My parents are _so_ proud of him."

Collins scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I think anyone who likes this _Dark Lord_ is off his rocker."

"So your father still doesn't agree with him?"

"No." Her tone turned almost sulky. "My father has been turning more and more muggle. I don't think I've seen him use magic since I came to Hogwarts. He doesn't like to talk about anything magical anymore."

Not knowing how to respond, and feeling his stomach start to complain about a lack of food, Sirius just grabbed her hand. "We're getting ice cream." He dragged her over to Fortescue's place and bought them each a sundae.

While sitting in the sun and watching the people walk past, Sirius was very confused. "So why are you being nice?"

She seemed to think about it for a second. "I don't know. I don't even know why I didn't talk to you. Well… I do and I don't."

Sirius was more confused than ever.

"I'm a _girl_!" Mina finally said. "I reserve the right to not claim any responsibility for any inexplicable mood changes. Do you want to go see a film?"

"A what?"

"Haven't you paid _any_ attention in Muggle Studies?"

"Oh! Those things where they have people moving on a screen. I've never seen one. Moony keeps going on and on about how I should."

"Go on then. I know of a few cinemas not far from the Leaky Cauldron."

"Why not?" Sirius gave in. It was something to get rid of the boredom.

-------

"Why have I never seen a movie before?"

Sirius kept going on and on about the two films they had spent the day watching. First they saw the new American film _Young Frankenstein_, and then found another cinema still playing _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_.

"So I take it you liked them?" Mina said.

"My stomach hurts from laughing so much. Weighs as much as a duck," he shook his head laughing. He held the door to the Leaky Cauldron open for her.

"Just promise not to go testing that with me." She looked over at him and immediately regretted her last sentence. He was scouting out the place with _that_ look—the one he would give a hallway before dropping a pile of dungbombs. She glanced around the main room—empty save one or two hags in the corners.

Suddenly she was flung over one of his bony shoulders. "Put me down, Black!"

"Hmm… if you weigh as much as a duck, Collins, that is one _giant_ bird." She slapped his back, but he slapped her butt back and laughed more. "Hey Tom!" He yelled to the barman. "Can we get some dinner?"

-------

"I can't believe we still have the _whole month_ till we go back to school!" Sirius whined for the umpteenth time that day. They had been staying at the Leaky Cauldron for a week now, and Sirius was bored. But then again, it didn't take much to make Sirius Black bored. After venturing out to the cinema, they had stuck to Diagon Alley. Today they were playing wizard chess in Sirius' room.

"Black, if you say that one more time I swear I will hit you!" Mina said.

"Oh good! Physical pain to take my mind off this _boredom_."

"Right!" Mina said angrily while standing up.

"What are you doing?"

"I am grabbing my coat and we are getting out of here."

"Where are we going?" He stood and grabbed his coat.

"Anywhere, everywhere. I bet that even though you've lived in London all your life you've never seen any of it besides the wizarding part. So you are going to be a muggle tourist and I will be your tour guide."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Are you going to take me to a bunch of boring museums?"

"Yes. And they aren't boring. Besides, we can go to muggle shops, see a few plays, and maybe you will actually learn something. So shift!"

-------

**Diary of Mina Collins **

**August 1975**

23 August

Sirius Black needs a leash. And possibly a chair and whip.

For two weeks I have been dragging him around muggle London, and never have I been more convinced that Black is more puppy than boy. How is it possible to have that much energy? Luckily it is infectious or I never would have survived our many outings. He just bounces and skips all over the place when you let him out. And I mean he literally skips! How he manages to do it in those heavy boots I'll never know. Probably some pact with the Devil, giving up his soul for wicked strong muscles, intelligence without ever studying, and amazing good looks.

Oh gods, I did not just say that. He is not good looking.

Well, he is… But I am _not_ interested! Not in the least! So don't get any ideas or anything. I still don't like him. Well, like him _that_ way. He's not terrible to be around.

I have made many efforts to at least make these educational outings, not just fun and games. So I dragged him through every museum in London. But I really think he liked some of the art. He seemed fascinated by the torture exhibits in the Tower, and all of the war planes and machines later on. Good thing admission is free, although I always make sure to leave a generous tip. Luckily I was able to do so without Black noticing and demanding that he pay for everything. Papa may never be around, but my allowance is. Who knows what will happen to Sirius if his family ever decide to disown him or just cut him off financially. So I figure it's best to let me handle things. Plus he doesn't know anything about muggle money. I swear he hasn't paid one bit of attention in class.

26 August

If I have to sit through that Monty Python film one more time I may scream. Black has dragged _me_ along to see it seven times now, and_ Young Frankenstein_ three times. I think threatening to cut off his ears and gouge out his eyes if he even suggests going to either again has gotten the message into his thick skull. Why did I take him to them to begin with?

But there is one good side to this; his renditions of scenes are brilliant entertainment. Him trying to sing "Putting On The Ritz" with the appropriate monster impersonations is something to behold. He is a master of the theatrics I must say. His improvisations and additions have had me laughing so hard it hurts—sometimes because they are brilliant, sometimes because they are so awful. I have even recorded a few acts down and leave them here for posterity. I almost feel sorry for poor Remus if he ever hears one of them.

-------

**The beginning of the Quest of Sir Lancelot (condensed to a run-on sentence) **

"Brave, brave Concord! You shall not have been almost mortally struck down by an arrow bearing a message bidding me brave forth to bravely rescue the distressed captive of Swamp Castle in my own particular idiom in vain!"

**Brave Sir Remus (one of _many_ different renditions of Brave Sir Robin) **

Bravely bold Sir Lupin strode forth to the tree.  
He was not afraid of it, O brave Sir Lupin!  
He was not at all afraid to be cased in wolfy fur,  
Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Lupin!

He was not in the least bit scared to be morphed into a pup,  
Or to have his eyes glow gold, and his teeth turned to fangs;  
To have his nose turned snout, and his body turned canine;  
And his limbs all shorter and doggy, brave Sir Lupin!

-------

29 August

Remus and James arrived back today. So I finally got a day free of Sirius. He wanted to invite me along with them, but there was no way. I already have to put up with them everyday at school, and have spent enough time with _just_ Black, so I took the day just to be by myself. Lily and Sally are coming together tomorrow. I don't think I'll tell what I've been doing… or rather who I've been doing things with. Lily would probably coo and moan in sympathy going on and on about poor little me stuck with Black for all this time. I don't think I could handle that seeing as how I've actually enjoyed my time with him. I have no idea what Sally would say. She'd either side with Lily, say she knew it was coming, or take the mickey out of me for weeks. It would probably be the last one. Possibly a combination of all three.

I don't leave for another couple of days, but I'm mostly packed. I hate these last few days before class. I can't wait to go back, and yet the thought of essays and reading and class work makes me almost sick with worry. I just want to get back and get it over with. Another year of nearly failing all of my classes. And on top of that, failing my O.W.L.S. Great! More things to worry about and give me nightmares. I'm just praying to all the Powers that Be that any nightmares I do have are not actual visions of the future. Knowing that I am going to fail does not help at all. Professor Mopsus is right, sometimes Seeing really is a curse.

But I can't help feeling that something bad is coming. Or at least a change. Merlin! I hate having this stupid seer intuition thing. _Why_ did I take Divination?

* * *

_What is going to happen? Don't worry, before anything bad happens something that is actually good (whether Mina would admit it or not) happens. And just to note, if the Ballad of Sir Lupin doesn't exactly fit with the song it is because it was one of the so-terrible-it's-hilarious things Sirius came up with. The next chapter should be up soon, internet permitting. But things may slow a bit as I'm starting a new job and school next week. Review please! I love knowing what you think._


	12. Padfoot

_I'm sorry that it has taken a while for me to update, but it's going to happen. This semester I have a LOT of work for classes, and then I've got my job. it may pay the bills, but it tends to drain all the creativity from me. I've got enough days off though to keep writing just fine. But it will just take longer. _

_Huge hugs and thank yous go to all who have reviewed so far. It has meant a lot to me. _

_Well, here it is..._

* * *

**September 1975**

**Hogwarts Express**

"I knew she was going to make prefect," Sally said as she and Mina pulled their luggage looking for a place to sit.

"Congratulations," Mina said without any feeling and looking around distractedly. "Have a trophy."

"Thanks," Sally sassed her right back. "See anywhere?"

"Regulus and his fan club, that's a no. Some cannon fodder dressed in neat little black and yellow packages, again no. Ah, here we go. Mary and Kingsley. Before we go in, are they dating?"

"No," Sally said. "They went together on Valentine's Day, but it didn't work out."

"Black get in the way?"

"Do you think he would have survived if he did?"

"Good point."

"Are these seats taken?" Mina asked opening the compartment door.

"By you," Kingsley said.

"Not off saving the innocent from certain Slytherin doom?" Sally asked as she sat down.

"Not this year. Younger blood has taken up the task."

"How did you do on your O.W.L.s?" Sally asked.

"Very well."

"That's wonderful."

"Thank you."

"I'm nervous. About O.W.L.s."

"Don't be."

"Can we get a sentence with more than two words?" Mina asked. Mary laughed.

When they walked into the castle and towards the feast, Mina noticed Black getting pulled aside by McGonagall.

"Trouble already?" Lily asked.

"No doubt," Mina said.

"That's Black." Lily nodded.

"Come on," Sally motioned.

"Is everyone speaking in two word sentences today?" Mina asked no one in particular.

"Not really." Sally grinned.

"Bugger off." Mina scowled.

The Sorting Hat sang a new song, the first years looked shorter than ever, there was yet another new DADA teacher, Dumbledore gave his usual speech, and everyone went straight to bed afterwards. Mina couldn't help wondering if anything new was going to happen this year to break up the monotony.

-------

The next morning Mina found new meaning in the phrase "be careful what you wish for". As usual, McGonagall handed out the schedules, but this year she asked to speak with Mina for a moment. She took Mina to a room just off of the Great Hall.

"Miss Collins, as I am sure you are aware, this year you will be taking your OWLs," she said. Mina just nodded in agreement. "I am concerned that you are not doing as well in your classes as you should be. I have made arrangements for you to have a partner in your classes to help you improve your grades."

There were only a few in Gryffindor smart enough, and she was almost certain that McGonagall wouldn't leave her in the hands of a Ravenclaw. Mina quickly went over the list of possible people in her year: Lily, busy with prefect duties; Remus, likewise; Sally, not all that great herself, obligations to clubs; James, newly appointed Quidditch captain; Sirius, bugger.

He wasn't in trouble last night; he was sealing the inevitable destruction of all remaining shreds of her sanity.

"Professor, please tell me you aren't pairing me up with Black."

"I'm afraid so, Miss Collins. I hope that you can try to keep him out of trouble."

"Great. He's my tutor and I'm his nanny. Begging your pardon, professor."

Was… was that a smile on old McGonagall's face? Couldn't be. Nope. There it was. That was undeniably the small sign of a slight smile.

"I'm sure you will be fine. Mr. Black has already agreed, and so you will sit together in all classes. Good luck."

Knowing a dismissal when she heard one, Mina left and headed for her first class: History of Magic. Lily and Sally had left a place for her, but she steered herself over to Black and Potter, who had saved a seat for her in the back of class. She was going to have a lot of explaining to do when she met up with the girls. The phrase "if looks could kill" came to mind.

"Not one word, either of you," Mina told the two boys grinning next to her. "Just kill me and get it over with."

"So dramatic, Collins," James said.

"James."

"Yes?"

"You're saying words. I suggest you stop. That is if you are planning on having children with Lily one day."

Sirius just rolled his eyes at his mate and leaned back in his chair. Mina stared at him while Binns began his usual drone.

"Aren't you going to take notes?" Sirius asked.

"Aren't you?"

"I'm not failing."

"Neither am I."

"But Minnie-kittens says you are."

"Not this class. Others yes, but not this one. And I'm not failing… I'm… not doing as well as I might."

"You're failing."

"Shut your gob."

"Mind your own. You shouldn't let it get filthy."

"Stick it in your ear."

"Not after it's been up your arse."

"Are you two done insulting each other?" James asked. He turned to Sirius. "Did that last one even make any sense?"

"No," Sirius and Mina said at the same time.

After class Sirius let out a dramatic sigh of relief as James, complete with his shadow sometimes known as Peter, went running after Lily to ask if she'd date the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain—him. "Well, there's that hour of complete boredom over."

"It's not all that dull. Not if you have ways of making it interesting." Mina had a smug smile on her face.

Sirius grabbed her notes. "Let's just see what makes it so interesting." He looked at the parchment. "These are cartoons."

"Yup. Only way to make history fun with that old dead beat."

"These are funny. Is that really what he was talking about?" He pointed to one drawing.

"Yes, actually. Just call me the Defence Against the Boring Class professor. Now if you will excuse me, I need to catch up with two girls who will most likely kill me."

"I could tell them for you."

"What? You mean tell them arrogantly so that they hate you on my behalf, instead of blaming it all on me?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's run before James and his fat gob get that pleasure."

When they finally caught up with the pairs of boys and girls, Sirius and Mina were out of breath and Mina's hair was falling out of its bun.

"Where have you been?" Lily demanded. "Why did you sit with them? What have you two been… Oh my God!"

James was grinning and giving Sirius a thumbs up. Mina looked around confused, and Sirius just stood with his usual air of casual elegance… and… was that a wink?

"Sorry to disappoint your sordid ideas, Evans, but my dear Miss Collins has not been getting her snog on with yours truly. We had to go over her notes from Binns' delightfully dull droning, and then run to catch up with you lot."

Lily was turning tomato red again—all she needed was a green hair clip on the top of her head. "Why were you going over her notes?"

"Because the love of my life, the most beauteous and radiant McGoogles, pleaded and begged me to take the desperate and doomed to failure wench next to me under my most talented and exceptionally gorgeous wing."

"And that wench is going to hit you if you keep referring to her like she isn't here," Mina said. "Do you think I want to be stuck with you in _every class_?"

Sally was laughing. James was laughing. Peter was laughing because James was laughing, but still looking confused. Lily was now turning into a red-topped plum. "I'm going to talk to McGonagall about this. I can tutor you. And five points from Gryffindor for disrespectful reference to the Head of House."

She briskly walked out of sight.

"Can she really…?" Peter started.

"We'll ask Moony," James said. "But I think she can. What do you think, Sirius?"

Everyone turned to look at him, but he was gone.

-------

"And so Hayward and Lodge did their own album. It's really great, but I wish the band would get back together." Mina and Sally were chatting over lunch about Sally's record collection.

"I've only heard what's played on the radio," Mina said. "I'll have to look at getting their albums."

"Who's albums?" Lily asked coming over and sitting down.

"No, different band," Sally said. The two girls looked at her in confusion. "Never mind."

"Well, Mina," Lily said. "I'm sorry, but you are stuck with Black as your tutor. He insisted, and McGonagall has made up her mind."

Mina nodded. And then burst out laughing. "Who! Comma the, right? I get it."

"Took you long enough."

Lily was even more confused.

-------

After lunch she had Muggle Studies, and despite it being one of her best classes, she was still paired with Sirius.

The professor seemed hopeful that Mina would help improve Sirius' pathetic grade.

Mina raised an eyebrow as Sirius just stared back. "Don't say anything!" he said.

"Wasn't going to." But the rest of the class she had a rather smug smile on her face.

After class they walked out together. "So I heard you 'insisted' on remaining my tutor."

Now he looked a little sheepish. "Yeah. Do you hate that?"

"No. In fact, don't tell Lily, but I was relieved. She's a horrible teacher."

"Evans? A horrible teacher?"

"It's all work and no fun at all. I still remember when you helped me on that DADA essay. It was fun. But don't let it go to your head!" She looked over at him and saw that it was too late.

-------

The next couple of weeks were difficult. Mina had to juggle Quidditch practice, working with Sirius, and spending time with her friends. Sometimes Sally would join the two to study, but as Sirius preferred the common room for studying, and she preferred the library, it didn't happen often.

-------

Then one night in late September, Sirius and Mina were working on a potions essay when James interrupted.

"Come on, Sirius. We have that thing."

"What thing, Prongs?"

"_That thing_."

"Oh! _That_ thing."

"What are you two on about?" Mina asked. "And, Prongs?"

"New nickname. Has to do with the thing. So you coming, Sirius?"

"Sorry, Collins. We'll finish it later."

After they left, Mina slammed her book. "Boys," she muttered under her breath.

------

It was just as the common room was emptying that Mina noticed the boys were still missing. Around midnight she finally left and went to her dormitory. As she changed into her nightgown and un-braided her hair, she looked out the window at the moon. It was beautiful; it's full light lit up the grounds…

Full moon.

Boys missing.

They wouldn't.

They couldn't.

They weren't that stupid.

Or…

Were they?

Grabbing a blanket and a book, Mina ran down to the common room and waited for them to return.

-------

Sirius, James, and Peter were silently laughing as they crept back up to Gryffindor Tower. Everything had worked perfectly. Peter's convenient rat form made stopping the Willow easy, and Sirius and James were just strong enough to control the wolf. They had kept to the shack, but James and Sirius were already planning the adventures they could have on the grounds, or in the forest. All they knew was that they weren't going to stay in that splinter-nightmare every month.

The only problem they could see was what to call Sirius. Prongs, Moony, and Wormtail had been simple. So far, the only thing they could think of for Sirius was Snuffles, and that was _not_ acceptable. It wasn't exactly something they could yell in the hall ways and still seem manly.

They took off James' cloak and woke up the grumpy Fat Lady, pacifying her anger with their winning smiles, and silently entered the common room. They were just about to creep up to their dormitory when…

"What the _bloody hell_ did you _think_ you were _doing_?"

Collins stood with the fire behind her, looking like some sort of demon with a mass of messy hair silhouetted and looking rather like a menacing frizzy blob, and her face contorted by anger and deep shadows.

"Why don't we let you handle this, Sirius?" James said as he and Peter ran for the stairs. Sirius whipped his head towards the staircase they ran to, wishing he had braver friends or the courage to run himself. But instead he had to face the wrath of Hell. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

"You _never_ think! You bastard! You could have been killed! What do you think that would do to Remus? _What_ were you all _doing_?"

It was that bad. "It's all right…"

"Oh no it isn't, Black! I demand you tell me what was going on!"

Well, he might as well just show her. He quickly transformed into a large black dog. Collins then fell. He padded over to her and found that she had just sat down rather quickly on the sofa. He transformed back into a boy and sat next to her.

"Werewolves only bite people," he said.

"You… you…"

"Yes?" He didn't want to spend too much time with her stammering.

"You're animagi?"

"Yes."

"At fifteen?"

"Yes."

"Wow. How long…?"

"Do you remember when we were looking through books in the library?"

Of course she remembered. Everyone had noticed at some point it had seemed. "You were studying to do this?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"We didn't want Moony to be alone anymore. It's really hard for him, and we thought this would make it easier."

"Wow. Wait! The nicknames. Moony because werewolves change at the full moon?"

"Yes. And James is a stag, so he's Prongs. And Peter is a rat, so he's Wormtail."

"And you?"

"We haven't come up with one yet."

"How about Grim, because you certainly scared me half to death tonight."

"No, it's not quite right. Are there any other names for the Grim?"

"In the north, muggles call it Padfoot."

"Wait! Muggles know about the Grim."

"Yup. They know more than you'd think they would. But I think Padfoot suits you."

"I'll think about it."

"Now that I know you are all right, I'm going to bed." She grabbed her blanket and a book. As she reached the stairs she turned back to him. "You really are a Gryffindor." Then she was gone.

Sirius sat in shock for minutes, until a pop from the fire called him back to reality. He jumped up and ran up the stairs to his own room. He bounced on James bed, waking the already dozing wizard.

"What's your problem, Sirius?"

"I've got my name, Prongs! I'm Padfoot!"

* * *

_Awwww! Isn't he just adorable! And yes, I know mentioning a girls hair is the most MarySue thing ever, but it does have a point. And in this chapter I needed to convey how scary she looked. All will be revealed at the end of fifth year._

_So with so much other stuff going on in my life, I really need encouragement to keep this going. Reviews are encouraging. I know you all are probably busy too, but I just ask that you leave a small note, just saying you liked it, or thought a particular line was funny. Please let me know what you think, and if you have any questions. I'll show you the same courtesy and answer anything I can. Review Please!_


	13. The Serpent

_Luckily I have some rather boring classes_ _that are perfect for writing in, so things should only slow down a little. I hope you like the chapter! Review and let me know!_

* * *

**October-November 1975**

**Hogwarts**

By mid October, Mina was beginning to think that the whole arrangement with Sirius as her tutor was to motivate her to study harder on her own so she could avoid him. Keeping _**The**_ Sirius Black out of trouble was beyond her capacity. When he wasn't helping her, he was out somewhere snogging some tart, or pulling some prank. Both of which earning him detentions left and right. Mina had never before noticed just how much time he and James spent in detention—and that it never seemed to faze them in the slightest.

Mina sat in the common room with Remus, working on a DADA essay and waiting for Sirius to return from detention with McGonagall. Remus had already finished the essay and was reading.

Bored with her parchment still lacking in three inches, Mina leaned over and tried to see what Remus was reading. He looked up.

"Whachoo readin?" Mina asked.

"Words," Remus answered.

"All right, Hamlet. What is the matter?"

"The matter that I read?"

"Ay, the very same, my lord." Mina had a teasing look about her.

"The Patronus Charm. A very difficult protective spell that can ward off Dementors, among other things."

"Sounds useful enough. I wish I was good enough to do something like that."

"Mina, you're not an idiot. Look at how good you are at Muggle Studies and Divination. I'm sure you could do well in other areas if you actually practiced."

"What? You mean _actually_ try to _learn_? Are you mad?"

"Apparently so. But only when the wind is north-north-west."

"And all the other times you are fully capable of telling a hawk from a handbag. Why you'd need to, I don't know."

"Shifty things, handbags."

Just then James and Sirius burst into the common room, apparently in the middle of a loud conversation.

"Prongs, you don't know what you are missing!" They both came over and sat by Remus and Mina.

"What is Padfoot on about?" Remus asked.

"I have no idea," James said.

"I'm trying to tell Prongs about the Cybermen and the whatsits… the pepper pots with plungers."

"Daleks?" Mina was amused.

"You did this!" James exclaimed loudly. "You turned him into a monster who won't stop talking about Doctor How."

"Doctor Who!" Mina and Sirius shouted at the same time. Remus was laughing, the book forgotten.

"If you would watch it you'd like it, Prongs," Sirius insisted.

"How did you get Padfoot hooked on a muggle television show?" Remus asked Mina, while the other two kept on arguing.

"I just showed him a couple episodes. I _ahem_ don't _ahem_ have a magical device for recording muggle television."

Remus sat there and then broke out laughing again. There was a slight pause in James' and Sirius' argument to watch Remus double over in laughter, and then they started up again.

'Boys,' Mina thought, looking at her parchment and starting to write again.

-------

A week before Halloween, Mina and Sirius sat in Muggle Studies staring at slides of American muggle children celebrating Halloween.

"So they wear funny costumes?" Sirius asked Mina. He rarely bothered listening to the professor, and would just ask Mina to explain what was going on.

"Yes. Sometimes they dress as historical figures, or frightening monsters, or witches and wizards."

"They dress like us?"

"Well, more like they dress like what they think we look like. It isn't too far off most of the time."

Suddenly, a very strange thing happened.

Sirius raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister Black."

"I'm just not getting this costume thing. I think we should try it ourselves to better understand the customs of muggles and why they do it."

"I agree, Mister Black. I shall speak to the Headmaster." The professor then went on with the lecture.

"Smooth, Padfoot," Mina said.

"I try." He gave her his famous puppy-like grin.

-------

Dumbledore was apparently amused by the idea of a more muggle Halloween, and approved the wearing of costumes that day. There was much excitement and complaints of not having enough time to find suitable costumes. Mina thought they were all nutters.

"Why is everyone stressing over this?" Mina asked as she watched Sally adjusting her costume… again. Sally decided to dress as a swan. She said she liked the sound of "Sally Swan".

"Because it is just another part of the fun. Stop your moping. You'll ruin everyone's fun."

"She better not," Lily said coming out of the bathroom. She had chosen to go as Joan of Arc so that she could hit Potter with her wooden sword if he tried anything. "Anyways, what is your costume?"

Mina just smiled. "You'll just have to guess."

"You're wearing a yellow dress with your red shawl," Sally said. "For all we know you are going as yourself."

"Not exactly. If you can't guess I'll tell you tomorrow."

When they went down to breakfast they saw the boys… or Marauders as they were now calling themselves. No one dared ask where they got the name. Since it was the only spot big enough, the girls sat next to them.

Remus was wearing a long scarf and a large fedora, so no questions of identity, or rather _incarnation_, there. Wormtail was wearing a sheet with eyeholes—again, no questions there. Sirius, like Lily, was wearing armour and a tunic with the cross of St. George. James was green and had wings.

"George?" Mina asked.

"Very good, Collins," Sirius smiled.

"Just try not to kill James."

"Ah, do not fear, gentle damsel. The fair maiden-warrior yonder has already pierced me to the heart," James said.

Lily reached for her sword, but Sally held on firmly to Lily's arm.

"No death at breakfast, please," she said.

"So where are the dwarves, Collins?" Sirius asked.

"Mining. Tragically they couldn't get the day off. Some dwarf union nonsense or something."

"Snow White!" Lily practically yelled.

Unfortunately that was when McGonagall walked by. "Miss Evans, this is the Great Hall, not some medieval battle field. Kindly keep your voice in normal tones."

"Yes, professor."

"Snow _White_?" Sally asked, looking pointedly at the knighted saint next to Mina.

"Black hair, pale complexion, it seemed to fit." Mina gave Sally a good hard kick under the table.

"Plus you're great with apples," Sirius said and he and Mina grinned at their private joke.

"But I have to say, Lily is the fairest of them all," James said.

"Thanks James," Mina said dryly. Lily was reaching for the sword again.

"I think Sally is the fairest," Peter said. Everyone stared at him; he never disagreed with James.

"Thanks, Pete," Sally said. Lily was reaching for the sword—to whack Sally this time—and Mina looked a little put out.

"We don't need another Trojan War," Remus said, and received several puzzled looks from around the table. "Having Paris choose which was the fairest goddess started the Trojan War."

"You and your books, Moony," Sirius said shaking his head. The rest of the group laughed and the matter was dropped.

-------

The rest of the day was filled with the usual teenage frivolities that occur when teenagers wear costumes. Laughter and pranks were the order of the day, and the Headmaster, who only laughed at any pranksters he caught, encouraged it all.

That night, after the feast, the girls all went to their dormitory for a night of ghost stories and possibly a game of truth or dare. When Mina was changing into her nightgown she noticed a note on her pillow.

"_To the Fairest of them All—P_" It was also signed with a paw print. Attached to the note was an apple painted gold.

"Is something wrong?" Sally asked as the other girls were making themselves comfortable on their beds.

"No." Mina smiled and put the apple in her trunk and closed it.

-------

A few days into the month of November, Mina skipped down the hall. Tonight she was just walking (well, skipping) in the halls because Sirius was taking a break from helping her to have a snog with some trollop. There was no Quidditch practice either, as the captain was serving detention with Flitwick—how he managed to upset the normally easy-going man was still a mystery. Mina wanted to get out of Gryffindor Tower for a while, and a walk seemed nice. It was so nice that it turned to skipping down to the kitchens in happy anticipation of a large amount of chips.

Unfortunately her journey stopped on the second floor. Snape and Avery blocked her path.

"Well, well, well," Snape sneered. "If isn't Gryffindor's Quidditch Princess."

"I thought that title belonged to Black," Mina said glaring right back at him.

"Very funny," Snape said.

"I can think of a few funnier things," Avery said with a dark chuckle.

"Please enlighten us," Snape said.

"Oh, just a few hexes and curses Mulciber has come up with. I've been wanting to try them out."

"Great!" Mina said, still trying to just play it cool until they gave up. "When you find some Hufflepuffs, let me know how that goes."

"Why search for Hufflepuffs when we have you?" Avery smiled.

"And it would make us heroes in Slytherin for getting rid of their precious seeker before the next match," Snape added. Before she could run away, Snape shouted, "Levicorpus!"

Suddenly Mina flew in the air and was suspended by an ankle. Avery was doubled over with laughter. Snape had his sneering, smug smile on.

"Very nice."

Mina turned her head and saw Regulus Black leaning against the wall.

"One of my own spells," Snape bragged. "I may teach it to you one day."

"Actually I was referring to Collins' knickers, not your spell. Nice…"

"You're disgusting," Mina spit out.

"Quite right." He turned his attention to the boys. "You might as well let her down, Severus. Teachers and prefects are starting their rounds."

"Are you a coward?" Snape demanded.

"No, just smarter than some."

"We'll leave her for them to take down," Avery said before Snape could throw a curse at Regulus.

The three Slytherins then left. Mina was beginning to get an enormous headache from all the blood in her head. That and she was shaking all over. Then she heard humming. Was… was that "Putting on the Ritz"?

"Collins…"

"Yes, I know. Could you get me down?"

"Liberacorpus," he said pointing his wand. She then started falling… right into Sirius' arms. "Snivellus hit James with that last year. I think he broke his glasses when he hit the ground. Luckily, you're easier to catch than he is."

"I thought I weighed a horribly large amount?"

"No, just large for a duck."

Mina laughed as he let her stand. "Thank you. I don't know what was more frightening: Avery about to practice some more spells after Snivellus' handiwork, or Regulus, Prince of Gits, complimenting my knickers."

"He was in on this?" Sirius was getting that knight-chivalrous-vengeance look.

"Don't… don't do anything. I don't need you riding off to kill the dragon in your shining armour… again. The performance on Halloween with James was quite enough. We'll beat the git in the next match. Anyways, I was on my way to the kitchens. Would you care to escort me?"

"Gladly, my lady." He gave a dramatic bow and held out an arm.

"Thank you, noble knight." She took his arm and they started for the kitchens.

"So what is our quest?" Sirius asked. "Ice cream, treacle tart, cake?"

"Chips."

"Ah! Chips. Tis a worthy quest." He then looked at her. "Are you all right?"

Gripping his arm tighter. "I am now. You remembered to catch me," she said jokingly.

"Always." He paused. "As long as you don't get really fat or anything. Are you sure we should be going for chips?" Mina punched his arm.

-------

"All right team. We can do this! We've done it before. We now have two new chasers," James nodded to Blain Riker and Cheryl Penn, "but they are better! We are stronger and faster than ever, and we are going to win." He nodded to everyone. "Let's go."

There was light rain, but James was confident that it wouldn't slow them down, or hinder his seeker's eyesight. But just in case, he and his chasers were going to do everything they could to achieve a win no matter what.

The whistle blew and brooms swept into the air. As good as Robbins and Ella had been, James was amazed at the effortless way he flew with Blain and Cheryl. They just knew when the one was feinting, or when a pass was coming. After only a few seconds Blain had scored. Then James scored. Cheryl scored. Again and again they got the quaffle past the Slytherin keeper. Sirius and Kingsley were also keeping the keeper out of the way, and the beaters busy.

The Slytherins tried stooging, but Gwen was on to it, and let them get just far enough for a penalty, but not to score. Soon the score was 130 to 10.

James took a brief second to see how Mina was doing. She was still circling high. Regulus was circling just below her and was watching her intently. Git.

James focused once more on his part of the game. Again they scored. Slytherin was getting even angrier, and so were playing even more foully than ever. Unfortunately for them, this only gave the Gryffindors more penalty shots. Each and every one soared over the new keeper's head. Poor fellow was in for a hell of a beating from his housemates.

The score was 270 to 20 when the snitch was seen. Just when it looked like she was about to grab it, when one of the green chasers got right in her path and used a Transylvanian tackle. Then there was a good amount of blagging, blatching and blurting before the referee or her team could step in. James motioned to Blain and Cheryl to keep scoring while he, Sirius, and Kingsley went in to stop the Slytherins at their nastiest.

When Regulus caught the snitch, the Slytherin team was rather bruised and the score was 360 to 170. Gryffindor won.

As soon as he had landed, James rushed over to his seeker. Padfoot was already at her side.

"Are you alright?" He directed the question to Mina, but glanced over at his mate as well.

"I'm fine." Sirius nodded in confirmation.

"Right." Then it sunk in. "We won!"

"Really, Prongs?" Padfoot asked in mock amazement. "I did wonder what all the cheering was about from our housemates."

Mina punched Sirius' arm and then was hugging James. "You did it, Captain! Even with your seeker otherwise detained."

"Anything for you, Collins," James said grinning like a madman.

-------

A week after the match, and James was still considered a Quidditch hero for his amazing win. It seemed only Mina, Sirius, and the Slytherins were upset at the outcome of the game—Mina and Sirius wanted to have beaten Regulus thoroughly, and the Slytherins just wanted to have won.

Slughorn was particularly sore. It seemed as if he blamed Mina for not catching the snitch sooner and saving his House from the humiliation of the enormity of their defeat. So very early on in one of his lessons, Mina was given a detention for a rude comment, that had it come from Lily's mouth would have been called cheek and smiled at. It didn't help either that Mina had long since lost any chance she had in the "Slug Club". But then again, that was something Mina rejoiced in rather than lament.

The potion he had set them to work on was hard, but Mina was actually doing rather well with it. It was all her own doing, as Sirius and James next to her were too busy joking about something. And of course, even when not paying attention they exceeded expectations every time. Just them showing up to class exceeded many people's expectations.

Since she was doing well, Mina decided to make things a little more challenging for the two boys with her. She moved around their ingredients when they weren't looking. If they actually paid attention to the labels and instructions they would be fine. If not… Mina was preparing to get out of the way if she needed to do so quickly. It soon became apparent that Sirius was mostly paying attention, but James wasn't.

Five minutes before the end of class, James' cauldron went off in a fantastic explosion of yellow goo. No one was hurt, but the sticky substance covered everything. Slughorn even turned purple, but it was due to anger not any magical properties in the goo. Mina, however, thought it was magical to see James under old Sluggy's wrath… until she found out that her detention would be with James that night cleaning up the mess without the use of magic.

-------

"I hate you," Mina said glaring at James with some of the goo smudged on her face.

"No you don't. I'm your captain. If it wasn't for me…"

"And two others…"

"...you'd be in an uncomfortable social position right now. Not to mention doing something dull, like doing lines or reorganising Sluggy's store cupboard."

"You are so full of…"

"Oi Prongs!" Sirius' voice came from nowhere, cutting off Mina's last word.

James grinned and pulled a mirror out of his robes. "Wotcher, Padfoot! How's the detention, old boy?"

"Positively spiffing, old boy. I dare say the lovely Minerva shall succumb to my charms any day now."

"Jolly good! I say, old boy, you haven't given your regards to Miss Collins. We're having a corking time here."

"Wotcher, Collins!" Mina looked over James' shoulder at Sirius' grinning face. Rolling her eyes and giving him a two-fingered salute with sound, she went back to scrubbing.

"I say," James said. "I don't think she's happy to be here, old boy."

Just a second later a bucket full of soapy water came crashing over James' head. Spluttering and coughing, he glared at Sirius. "You could have warned me."

"Sorry, old boy." With one last bark-like laugh, Sirius' grinning face disappeared.

"Git," James muttered. He spent the rest of the detention in miserable, wet silence.

* * *

_My apologies for the Quidditch foul terms. They are all just basic fouls that could have been described, but James lives and breathes Quidditch so it didn't feel right to make detailed descriptions. Really they are just knocking other people about with brooms, elbows, or holding on to someone else's broom, or zooming in at the keeper while someone else scores during the distraction. If you want to know what they mean it is all available in "Quidditch Through the Ages," or the HP Lexicon online. Steve Vander Ark is my hero!  
_

_So like I said, I do have some class time to write. Big lecture hall health class. Perfect for story writing. Yet that also means I'm writing a bunch of fragmented scenes and them typing them together. I hope it works out okay. Let me know. I've got some more to work with, so the next chapter should not be long in coming. Review and it may come quicker... or is it more quickly? Anyways, please review. I could use the encouragement to get through an English paper I have due on Monday and a French test on Wednesday. Reviews give me a good reason to make time for fanfiction amidst the schoolwork.  
_


	14. Christmas

_All right! Next chapter. _

_**IMPORTANT NOTE:** Just to let everyone know, I decided to retcon a minor detail in the last chapter. All that was changed was instead of giving her a rose, Sirius sent Mina an apple painted gold instead. I was thinking a lot about it, and that seemed to fit more-- what with the Snow White and Paris choosing which goddess got the golden apple things going on. And there is a rather cute comment by Sirius at the breakfast table about her being good with apples. You can go back and take a look at that bit if you want. It is the only detail that changed. _

_**ALSO**, I would like to once again say most of these characters belong to a lot of other people, and that the mistletoe in this chapter is **NOT **my idea. It comes from the Shoebox Project. I couldn't resist using it, and a lot of other little elements as well. So my thanks and special credit goes to them. Not to myself. So now on with this chapter._

* * *

**December 1975 – January 1976**

**Hogwarts**

During the first week of December, Christine and Mary joined Lily, Mina, and Sally at the breakfast table.

"We're on red alert," Christine said. "It's rumoured that Black already has his mistletoe out."

"Enchanted mistletoe," Mary added.

"What?" Sally looked like she was torn between worry and disbelief.

"It's true," Lily said. All girls looked to her. "At least about the enchanted bit. Dumbledore thought we might have more fun with the season if the mistletoe was enchanted. So now it talks, sings, bites…"

"Bites?" Apparently the Christmas Spirit had rendered Sally incapable of asking more than one-word questions.

"Yes, if you don't kiss it will take action."

"Is that even allowed?" Mina asked.

"The Headmaster thinks it's perfectly appropriate. Believe me, McGonagall has tried to get rid of it, but not even she can change Dumbledore's mind about this."

"Great. Just what we all need." Mina did not sound happy.

-------

Two weeks into the month, Christmas decorations filled the halls and McGonagall went around to see who was staying over the holiday. Once again, Mina was the only Gryffindor remaining behind. With so much trouble in the world with the rising power of Voldemort, more and more parents wanted their children with them. Mina's father was in South America.

It was late evening when Mina walked down the hall towards the Gryffindor Tower, finally free of another detention with Slughorn. She was nearly there when she heard singing behind her.

"Joy to the world! Snape's a git! I hexed the slimy twit!"

"Dogs howl better, Padfoot," Mina said as Sirius came into view.

"Collins, you wound me!" He held a hand dramatically over his heart.

"Just as long as you stop wounding my ears."

"Where is your Christmas spirit?"

"I think I saw Nick on the fifth floor. Or if you want, I can ask Wormtail for his sheet and be the Ghost of Christmas Future."

"Not _that_ kind of spirit. I think it is my solemn duty to spread some Christmas cheer here." He had _that_ look again—the one that meant run unless you enjoyed being the victim of a prank.

"Oh no," Mina said backing away. But Sirius was too quick. He grabbed her with one arm and held her tightly against him. The other arm pulled something out of his robes and held it over their heads.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" it shrieked. "Now pucker up… or else!"

"Oh gods," Mina muttered.

"Shut up, Collins," Sirius said, smiling and leaning towards her.

-------

"Mina!" Sally said as she came into the common room and saw the familiar black frizzy head by the fire. Mina didn't even move when Sally sat next to her on the sofa.

"Hello! Earth to Mina. Come in Mina." She waved a hand in front of Mina's face. "Mission control, we have a problem. We've lost all audio communications with Captain Collins."

Mina blinked and looked at Sally. "Oh, hi."

"'Oh hi'? Is that all? What happened to you? Did your brain get run over by a hippogriff or something?"

"Yeah… I mean, no. Of course not. Sirius had mistletoe."

"So goes the rumour."

"It's not a rumour."

"So I gather. What's with…" She waved a hand in front of Mina's face again.

"There was mistletoe…"

"Yes, we established that."

"… and he kissed me."

"Sooooo… still waiting for an explanation."

"He kissed me."

"You said that before. It's not that big of a deal, Mina. He kissed me and I wasn't impressed."

"Were there arms involved?"

"No, he just leaned in, planted his lips on mine, and then I felt his tongue—which was not pleasant, by the way—and then I stomped on his foot and… Wait! Are you saying this wasn't his normal Christmas kiss?"

"I don't think so. I was forced to watch a lot of the kissing last year, and this wasn't quite like it. But it wasn't a snog—no tongue or anything. It was… nice."

"Oh boy! Your first kiss and it had to be him. Just tell me you aren't falling for Sirius Black."

"No, I'm not! I just was saying… that is… I mean… I just… I… I don't know."

"Mina, forget it! Just put it out of your mind. It's only Black. You remember? The love 'em and leave 'em guy?"

"Yeah," Mina said. She still had that vacant and distant tone in her voice as she once more stared at the fire.

-------

Mina said goodbye to Lily and Sally and walked back up to Gryffindor Tower. She grabbed a book from her dorm, and then headed back down to the common room to take her usual place by the fire. During the next half hour she was so wrapped up in her book that she didn't immediately notice that someone was sitting next to her. She looked up and over at Sirius.

"Not going to the Potters?"

"Nope. I thought I might keep you company."

"Thanks, but I don't need you making all sorts of sacrifices just because I don't want to go home to an empty house." There was a sour and bitter note to her tone.

"Oi! It isn't anything like that. It wasn't until last year that I had a Christmas with a normal family—if James' family can be considered normal. And before that the only Christmases I enjoyed happened right here in this castle. I don't really care where I am, and you need someone with you. And maybe I _like_ spending time with you and would be very-happy-thank-you to spend Christmas with you."

"All right. I'm sorry I snapped."

"See? That's why you need me here to cheer you up. You don't smile nearly enough."

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Well, I never see it."

"Maybe you need glasses just like Prongs."

"Maybe you just need to smile more."

"Maybe you both need to kiss more and talk less." They looked up and saw another sprig of the demonic mistletoe.

"Not again," Mina moaned.

"Collins, I'm going to have to agree with the plant."

"So kiss already, or do I need to get violent?" The plant leered down at them, something very odd for a plant.

Once again, Mina was connected at the mouth to Sirius Black. And once again, it was… nice. Mina was getting worried. As soon as the kiss was enough to satisfy the mistletoe and make it leave—and just as Sirius' hands were getting involved—Mina pulled away and slapped Sirius upside the head.

"Ow!" He cried holding a hand to where she had hit. "What was that for?"

"To remind you to keep your hands to yourself," she said pulling out the first reason she could think of. "So did the famous Sirius Casanova Black manage to kiss all the girls this year?"

"Nearly. I got more than last year, including you."

"I remember. We even had a repeat performance not two minutes ago. Now let's go to the kitchens and see if they have any Christmas pudding."

"Pudding?" His eyes glazed over at the mouth-watering thought. Then he shook them clear. "_You_ are trying to fatten me up."

"I am not! Although, gingerbread does sound rather appealing right now."

"Witch."

"Dog." Before any reply could come out of his opening mouth, Mina went on. "_Anyroad_, shall we go and seek out pudding and gingerbread?"

"I do like pudding."

"Well then, allons-y!"

-------

"Ung!"

Mina kept reading, hoping in vain that the noise from the fire would drown out the moaning not far from her.

"Uuuuuunnnnngggg!" Sirius plopped down on the floor between Mina and the fire. "Ung. Why did I let you tempt me with pudding?"

"I didn't _make_ you eat all five of those puddings. It's your own fault for your lack of self-control."

"I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual."

"'Choo reading?"

"Grimm's Faerie Tales."

"Not more gingerbread!"

"I thought we could do our muggle literature report on a few of them. They are easy enough, and you already know a few."

"Well, that is_ too_ easy. And too easy means boring. What about that Shakey guy?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Moony has a bunch of his stuff. He wrote that one about Romero or something."

"Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliette_? You want to write about Shakespeare?"

"Yeah. It sounds cool."

Mina looked at him as if he had just grown a second head. "Which one did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. I'll let you pick."

"All right. We need to do two of them. I think we should go with a comedy and a tragedy. _Much Ado About Nothing_ is good, not too hard and very funny."

"Are you saying I'm a wally?"

"You are a bit barmy occasionally, but no. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that Shakespeare can be difficult, and if we read any of the other comedies I'm afraid that you might decide to start cross-dressing."

Sirius made a very amusing look of disgust.

"And for the tragedy I think _Hamlet_ would be best."

"All right. Is that one about pigs?"

Mina broke out laughing.

-------

"Wow. These two are just like Prongs and Evans." Sirius sat back looking amazed.

"Which two?"

"Beatrice and Benedict."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess they are. Always fighting and everything. Except Prongs has always loved Lily and isn't afraid to admit it."

"True." He looked slightly disappointed. "Then how they trick them into liking each other won't work for Prongs."

"No."

-------

"So this guy kills his brother, marries his brother's wife, doesn't let his brother's son—who is old enough—inherit, and then he tries to kill that same nephew?"

"Yeah, that's about it. Except for Ophelia. And Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have their own play."

"Ok. But Ophelia is the bird that goes mental just because her ex-boyfriend kills her father."

"Oh, it is more complicated than that! She's a young girl who goes insane due to the mind games and politics played by all the males that she depends on for support. All the support disappears, and she is left alone and in incredible amounts of pain and confusion. It would drive anyone insane."

"Right. Must remember not to kill any old girlfriend's father."

Mina shook her head. "Yeah, good advice to keep in mind."

-------

"How did you get me doing work before Christmas? This is supposed to be a holiday!"

"We needed something to do. Plus, you can take the mickey out of Prongs for not having his work done, and you can just sit back and enjoy Moony lecturing him for his laziness."

Sirius looked like a puppy with a new toy. "Oh, good point."

-------

"Collins! Wake up!" Mina became aware of someone yelling from far away as she turned over in her bed, stuffed dog tucked under her arm. Then she realised it was Sirius yelling from the common room. And it was Christmas morning.

Throwing a robe over her nightgown, Mina grabbed her presents and went down to the common room.

"All right! I'm up!"

"Oh good! I can watch you open your presents. Did you get something from Moony? I bet it's a book. He gave me a book too. Every year another book from old Moony. Well, open them!"

Mina then realised that she had been staring at him as his mouth get going on. "All right. Just hold on a second. I just woke up, you stupid mutt."

"Not a morning person, Collins?"

"What ever gave you that idea?" She asked sarcastically throwing another glare at him.

There was indeed another book from dear old Moony. There were also sweets from Prongs and Wormtail, a white sweater from Sally, another book from Lily, and a Peruvian blanket from her father.

"You got me up this early in the morning and you didn't even get me a present?" Mina said.

"I have your present right here," he said pulling out a box from behind him.

Mina opened the box and found a camera and a photo album.

"Oh Padfoot…"

"I thought you could preserve all the good memories here, while annoying everyone else at the same time."

Mina couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, that does sound like fun. Thank you."

"Thank you for the books on motorbikes, by the way. Can I ask why you gave me a copy of the laws on misuse of muggle artefacts?"

"I seem to recall you speaking about buying a muggle motorbike."

"Yeah."

"You also mentioned about how much you like flying, and something else about flying that I just _can't_ recall. And I don't want you to get caught."

Sirius stared blankly at her, but then comprehension started to light up his face. "You cheeky rebel! You're helping me make a flying motorbike!"

"I never said anything of the sort." But she smiled and gave a wink.

The rest of the day was spent playing in the snow, taking pictures of each other, and then going in to the feast to take more pictures and eat more pudding. Dumbledore was jolly to the point where a passing muggle might mistake him for Father Christmas. From the way he smiled at them, Mina made sure to keep an extra good lookout for mistletoe on her way back up to the common room with Sirius.

Snivellus was glaring at them, especially Mina, but she knew he wouldn't try anything with Sirius with her. And if he did, Sirius was more than a match for the slimy git.

-------

A few days after Christmas, Sirius sat in the common room waiting for Collins to come back from the library. She had said they needed a certain book on something—he really hadn't paid much attention—and gone by herself to get it, as he would not set foot in the dreaded place again… unless he _really_ needed to. But now she was taking far too long. She should have been back at least half an hour ago. Dislike of the library be damned! He was going to search for her.

He made it to the sixth floor staircase when he saw her. She was coming up the staircase in a very unusual fashion, rather than walking. She was sitting on the stairs and using her arms to push herself up backwards to the next step.

"Collins?" She looked around at him. "What are you doing?"

"Improvising."

"Improvising?"

"Snape hit me with the leg locker curse. I didn't want to hop up the stairs and risk breaking my neck, but I needed to get back up so you could take the stupid curse off of me… or by then it might have worn off… Could you help?"

Giving a barklike laugh, he waved his wand and offered her a hand up. "You really are something, Collins. What sort of something, I'll never know, but it's definitely something."

"Thank you… I think. But no need to worry about Snivellus. I hexed his robes to say 'Jinx Me' on the back. It won't come off magically or wash off normally for quite some time. And that is only if he notices it right away."

Sirius started laughing again. "Yup, definitely something!"

-------

"So what have you ducks been up to?" James asked when he saw Sirius and Mina in the common room. He was lugging his trunk, then gave up and just charmed the stupid thing to float up to his room.

"See?" Sirius turned to Mina. "Fat duck."

"Fat _for a_ duck, you mangy mutt," she said back.

"Have I missed something?" James asked. He was starting to think that the two spent far too much time together.

"No," the two said at the same time. James didn't believe either of them. Mina then gathered her books and left.

"What did I say?" James asked, more puzzled than ever.

"How do you mean?"

"She's mad."

"No, she's not."

"How do you know? Padfoot, she looked mad."

"She's not."

"But she just up and left—no explanations or even a goodbye. Nothing."

"She's not mad."

"Then _why_ did she leave?"

"To let us talk."

"Oh, are you sure?"

"Positive."

Yes, they were definitely spending far too much time together. Padfoot needed to do more marauding. Then James noticed there were still books on the table they sat at. "Are you doing _work_?"

The book shut, the parchment rolled up, and both disappeared. "No."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

_Yay, another chapter. The next may take some more time to be finished. Just to let you know, I write down any ideas and scenes I think of between classes in a notebook. And then I have to find time at home to type them. So it can take no time, or it can take a VERY long time. Hopefully it's somewhere in the middle._

_And as I do take so much time, I would like to know what you think. So please just take a short minute to write anything you liked, what you didn't, or even just a note to say it's ok. Huge thank yous to all who do review! Review please!_


	15. Valentine Mismatch

Ok, first off I'm not dead. Things have been really busy and then I got a horrible case of writer's block. I'm doing better and found some time to get this next bit done. Hopefully more will be coming soon. Let me know what you think!

* * *

February 1976

Hogwarts

"Here we go again," Mina said as she propped her head on the table with her hands.

"How do you mean?" Sally asked.

"It's the first of February. The Valentine's Day madness descends upon the school as we speak."

"Evans." James came up to the common room table where the three girls sat. "You, me, Hogsmeade, Valentine's Day choirs serenading us into a life of eternal bliss…"

"Case and point," Mina said to Sally.

"No," Lily said, not even looking up from her parchment. "I won't go out with you on Valentine's Day, or any other day for that matter, so you can stop asking."

"You don't mean that."

"I really think I do," she said while finally looking up.

"Loads of girls would love to go out with me."

"Then go ask one of them."

"Being Quidditch captain, and all."

"Not impressed."

"And I'm asking you, not them."

"And still I say no."

"But…"

"Fine, Potter. I'll go out with you when the sun goes out, the grass grows red, and the oceans turn to yogurt."

"Hey," Mina said. "That's a good line."

"Muppet Show," said Sally.

"Oh! I must have missed that one."

Lily glared at the girls while James stood running a hand through his hair. "Potter, the answer is, as it will ever be, NO! So just bugger off."

"You don't know what you are missing, Evans. I could get _any_ girl."

"And I still say no thank you. Go ask them."

"Stop being stubborn, Evans. Mina, you're intelligent and not bad looking."

"Thank you, Prongs," Mina said sarcastically.

"Would_you_ go with me to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day?"

"Sure. Shall I meet you after breakfast?"

"What?"

"You just asked me out."

"Oh, yeah… er… sure. After breakfast."

"It's a date then! Toodle-pipski!"

James walked away looking slightly confused.

"Why are you going out with Potter?" Lily demanded angrily.

"Jealous?" Sally asked.

While Lily started to turn colours and try to form some sort of insulting response, Mina decided to cut in. "You didn't want to, you never want to, he really doesn't want anyone else, he never will, he doesn't want to lead another girl on, I won't get any ideas, and… er… I'm doing you a favour, Miss Lily Evans. This gives you two weeks free of Potter asking you out every other hour. No need to thank me." Just for emphasis, Mina waved a hand in mock condescension.

"I won't, trust me." Lily crumpled a spare bit of parchment and threw it at Mina's head.

-------

"Hey guys! Guess what!" Peter said excitedly while jumping up and down in their dormitory.

"I think Wormtail has something to tell us, Padfoot."

"Really, Moony? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Cut it out guys." Peter turned as James walked in. "Hey Prongs! Guess what!"

"How many questions do I get?" he asked.

"None," Sirius said. "Just let him tell us before he wets himself."

Not deterred by their lack of enthusiasm, Wormtail jumped onto his bed. "I have a date!" He gave a very girly sigh as he leaned back on his bed. It was an incredibly accurate impression of a certain James Potter.

"Do you really, Pete?" James said unenthusiastically while plopping onto his own bed.

"Yes!" Peter was still not deterred. "She's blonde and has dimples."

"Good for you, Pete," Remus said. "Are you going with anyone, Padfoot? Or will you be breaking up all the lovely couples again?"

"I was thinking about asking Collins. She's always a laugh."

"Er," James said, now looking worried. "Sorry mate, but she already has a date."

"Who?"

"Collins."

"My Collins?"

"Is there another Mina Collins at this school?"

"Whom is she going with?"

"Me."

"What?" Remus said, looking dumbfounded.

"She doesn't have dimples," Peter said.

"Shut it, Wormtail," Sirius said.

"It's not my fault!" James said pathetically.

"How is your having a date with Collins not your fault? And since when do you date anyone but Evans? And since you can't get her, when do you date?" Sirius' voice rose angrily.

"It just happened! I didn't mean it!"

"So you're just messing about with her feelings?" Sirius sounded even angrier.

"No! I was asking her a hypothetical question and she answered non-hypothetically. I'm sorry, Pads. I'll break it off if you want."

"No, no. If she wants to go with you then she should. Have fun." Sirius got up and left the room.

"_Fantastic_!" James shouted after him. "Tell us more about your girl, Pete. One of us should have a decent date."

"James…" Remus started.

"Hey!" James shouted, suddenly brightening. "Do you have a date, Moony?"

"No, you know I don't da…"

"Could you ask Evans?" James interrupted. "Just to go as friends? Please? That way she's with a bloke I can trust. Who knows, that shifty Shaklebolt might ask her. Then I'd never have a chance."

"You already don't have a chance," Peter pointed out.

"James, I don't like this idea. And I thought you like Kingsley."

"Please, Moony! Please say you will!" James gave his best impersonation of Sirius' puppy pout.

"Fine!" Remus gave in. "Just don't look at me like that. Your eye gets a funny sort of tic that's just creepy."

"Great!" James said, ignoring Remus' last comment. "Go ask her now!"

Muttering all the way, Remus left for the common room. Not long after he left, Mina came into their room.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi Mina!" Peter waved.

"Oh, I heard you're going out with that cute Hufflepuff, Pete. The one with the really cute dimples?"

"Yup!"

"Good for you. Georgiana's really sweet."

"Was there something you needed?" James asked. "Did you need to see Padfoot?"

"No, I just saw him leave for the kitchens. Is he feeling all right? He looked… odd."

"Yeah, he's fine."

"Okay. I actually came to speak with you. I wanted to let you know that I want to go just as friends."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't want you to spend another Valentine's Day alone, but I know there isn't any girl at this school for you but Lily, so I thought we'd just go as friends and have fun. And if Fate smiles on us, and we pretend it is a real date, we may make the fair Miss Evans jealous."

"Do you really think so? That's nice of you, Mina."

"So I guess we can plan on a long visit with your uncle Zonko and then butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Zonko isn't my uncle."

"And neither is Bob."

"Er…"

"It's an expression. Bob's your uncle; Fanny's your aunt. A figure of speech."

"Oh!" He started to laugh. Peter still looked confused. "You sure are strange, Mina."

"Thank you. And try to ignore that this is all just an elaborate scheme to get you interested in Doctor Who."

"Merlin! You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope! Never surrender, that's my motto." She smiled and then turned to leave. Unfortunately that was the same moment that Sirius decided to renter the room. The two collided, and Sirius had to hold on to Mina until she was able to regain her balance. With an awkward exchange of 'excuse me's' Mina left.

"I thought you were going to the kitchens," Pete said.

"Changed my mind."

"Well you can put that mind at ease because Mina and I aren't dating. We are just going to Hogsmeade as friends."

"So I can join you."

"But not so that anyone knows. We hope to finally arouse Evans' passions for me."

"So I won't join you, 'cause I really don't want to see anything involving Evans and passion."

"Unless it is passionately hitting Prongs," Peter said.

"True, my good Wormtail," Sirius said as James scowled. "Her violence can be great indeed, and thus more entertaining for us."

"Yeah, well what about my violence?" James raised a fist and the two boys broke out laughing.

"Just as entertaining," Sirius said grinning and ducking behind his bed.

-------

"The Canons don't stand a chance, that's for certain," Mina said as she walked besides James.

"That's like saying winter is cold, or Snivellus is a slimy git. It is so much a fact that saying it out loud is just pointless."

"Well, we've pretty much exhausted the subject of Quidditch. I could tell you my really lame Shakespeare joke, but you wouldn't get it."

"Is it anything like the one Sirius did in…"

"No. Definitely not."

"Oh."

"So apart from Quidditch and Miss Evans, is there anything you like to do?"

"You mean not including the pastoral jigs and hornpipes in the nude with Padfoot?"

"Yeah, because that is an image I could have gone my whole life without. Merlin! You have got to be joking!"

James laughed. "What better image is there to brighten up your day than our manly figures dancing a hornpipe?"

"The only thing bright about it is the glare off of your incredibly white skin… of which far too much is exposed in this scenario."

They stopped in front of the Three Broomsticks. "Are you saying that you wouldn't want to see me and Sirius in naught but with which nature graced us? You don't know what you are missing! Grecian gods, Mina. Athletes of the most muscley."

"Leaping monkeys in the buff," a voice said behind them. They turned to see Remus standing there. "With cooked noodles for muscles."

Mina broke out laughing uncontrollably. James glared. "Excuse me, but I happen to be manlier than even an _uncooked_ noodle." Mina laughed harder. "Where's Evans?"

Mina stopped laughing. "Not an hour together and you are already seeing another woman! Don't you care about the children?"

"I think she said something about powdering her nose," Remus said, laughing at Mina's theatrics.

"Are you having fun?" Mina asked.

"Is she having fun? Of course she is. That's good. No, wait. That's bad. She's having too much fun. She's having too much fun with my mate. I've been betrayed!"

"Prongs…" Remus started.

"Ye gods! She's having fun! Stop her from having fun, Moony. She cannot have fun! She's left me forever! How could I ever have befriended such a brute?"

Remus just stood there waiting for a pause to cut in. "Prongs, she's not having too much fun; you haven't been betrayed. But carry on like this much longer and you will be unconscious."

"Come on Arthur," Mina said taking James' arm. "Let's leave Lancelot to his Guinevere. See ya, Moony!"

They walked some distance down the street, James muttering about betrayals all the way.

"If I'm Arthur and Lily's Guinevere, who are you?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Morgan le Fey. Pure evil, I am."

"But that would mean you are my sister."

"Right," she said sarcastically. "That would be a laugh, wouldn't it? Us, related? Please!"

"Yeah, completely mental."

"Oi, James. Can I ask you something?"

"Just as long as it isn't to have a kid, because I don't do that incest… thing."

"No, it has nothing to do with Arthurian incest. I just wondered if you noticed the increased violence of the Junior Death Eater Youth League?"

"The what?"

"A name I made up for the gaggle of future Death Eaters. Yes, I know it's a bit redundant. Anyroad, I'm a wee bit worried for the safety of your seeker, especially after what happened to Mary and all."

"They melted the bones in one of her legs, right?"

"Yeah, real funny making her endure the pain of growing them back. I was just concerned that they might try it on an arm next time. My arm. I'm rather fond of my arms as they are."

"Fair point. I'll organise something, volunteers. Don't worry. In fact, I'll make sure the whole team is looked after properly. You're right. Things are getting bad."

She gave a little shiver. "Let's not talk about that now. We are here to enjoy ourselves."

"Right you are, Mina. Should we go check on Remus? See how he's doing?"

"Let's just head over to Honeyduke's, okay?"

-------

Soon the afternoon was over and Mina and James walked back to the castle.

"So, did we have fun?" Mina asked. "But not too much fun, right?"

James just laughed. "Yeah. You're all right, Mina."

"Thank you, James," she said sarcastically. "Keep up the flowing compliments and I'll have to start thinking that we are engaged." He shrugged his shoulders and absently ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just going to go over to the kitchens. Want to come?"

"We just ate all that candy, Mina. Why do you need more food? Dinner is soon."

"I know, but after all that junk I really want a banana. Bananas are good."

"All right. See you round, Mina." He walked up the marble stairs while Mina headed down the hall to the kitchens. She tickled the pear and opened the door ready to be surrounded by elves. She wasn't prepared to see Sirius sitting and looking miserable at one of the tables.

"Can I just get a banana?" she asked the elf nearest to her. While it ran off, she went and sat down next to Sirius. "Hi."

"Oh, hi Collins."

"That has to be the most depressed greeting I've ever heard. Is everything all right? Was it not fun breaking up the lovely couples in Madame Puddifoot's?"

"It was all right, I guess."

"Don't sound so happy, Pads. If you keep this up I may have to completely give up speaking to you and work on my essay for DADA in utter silence."

He suddenly sat up straighter. "I can help you with that, if you want." He kept his voice calm and cool.

"Nah, I think I can manage this one."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. But if you feel like lending some ideas I won't say no."

"Great! So… er… how was your date?"

Mina laughed. "Like spending the day with a brother. Fun, but I wouldn't want to do it all the time."

"So it won't happen again?"

"No, sadly his heart is long lost to Lily. Poor bloke. Right now it would take a head injury for her to go out with him, and even then the only thing her brain would probably remember is to say no to Potter. Oh well."

"I'd ask if you were ready for the match next week against Hufflepuff, but I'm sure you've heard enough about Quidditch today."

Mina groaned. "More enough than I care to think about. Is he like that all the time?"

Sirius let out a bark like laugh. "Worse."

"Well, there's my banana gone. I should go see if Lily's back and try to make sure she doesn't fancy Remus now. Last thing we need is for James' little plot to turn to a dog's breakfast." Mina paused, looked at Sirius then laughed. "I don't think I can use that phrase anymore."

"I happen to have quite nice breakfasts, thank you," he said crossing his arms.

"I'm sure! Well, cheerio!"

"Just one second, Collins." He got up from his seat and placed a light kiss on Mina's lips. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Um… right. You too." She then left quickly and ran up to Gryffindor Tower. The whole way she kept thinking over and over, 'You do not fancy Sirius Black.'

When she finally reached her dormitory, Lily was changing for dinner. Mina opened her mouth to speak, but Lily cut her off.

"No, I don't fancy Remus Lupin. He's sweet and an actually gentleman, unlike his buffoons-for-mates, and so he told me right from the start why he asked me out."

"So why did you go? You could have said no."

"Could have, but I wanted a date without the responsibility of having a boyfriend. How was yours?"

"Lovely. He's perfectly charming."

"Liar. And I don't like perfect anyways. What was it really like?"

"Like dating a brother… I think. I wouldn't really know as I don't actually have a brother."

"Isn't that giving up the 'let's make Lily jealous' act?"

"I knew it wouldn't work. Besides, I want you to know that I think of you as a sister." She smiled innocently.

Lily threw a pillow at her. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"Never surrender, that's my motto!"

* * *

I apologise now for any little mistakes in this chapter. It's been a while, so I just hope that everything sounds ok, that characters haven't suddenly had a personality change. Again, I apologise. I have some pretty intense classes right now, along with an exhausting job, and applications for study abroad. My life is crazy beyond my control. But I am still working on this story, and hopefully my writer's block won't come back. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please send them. Lots of thank yous to all who review!I 


	16. Career Counselling

_Finals are finished, Christmas is more or less over, so I have time for a chapter or two. Enjoy! The next semester starts early in January, so things will slow down again then. _

* * *

**March 1976**

**Hogwarts**

Minerva McGonagall stared at the list in front of her, wishing desperately that Albus would give her a holiday and take on the responsibility himself. Instead she was faced with a task that not even the knighted heroes of old would take, a quest of insurmountable difficulty, a task that should she complete the patron saint of England should be changed from St. George to St. Minerva. Sitting at her desk, Minerva waited for her dragon to enter.

Career counselling was about to commence.

This year she had decided to handle the students in reverse alphabetical order. She needed all the time she could get to prepare for her meeting with Mr. Black. Who knows the preparation he was putting into this meeting? Whatever it was, it would take every ounce of Minerva's patience not to hit the boy with the fire poker sitting in arm's reach of her desk.

A firm knock sounded. Miss Sparrow entered and sat across the desk.

"Good morning, Miss Sparrow," Minerva said. "This meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes."

"I'm thinking magical creatures," the girl stated, almost as if Minerva hadn't spoken.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Magical creatures. I'm doing my best in class, so I hope that's enough. I'm almost completely certain that it is. I'm struggling to rise above average in Transfiguration, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem if I don't advance to the next level. I'll need good marks in Potions, Charms, and Herbology. That means at least E's on every one of those exams. Then after high NEWT scores I can apply to a program in Southern California studying a rook of griffins. I've already checked, and they do apply NEWTs to their grading system."

Minerva sat dumbstruck. Never in all her years of teaching had a student had the foresight and determination to plan out their future with such details.

"Is that all professor?"

Minerva cleared her throat. "Yes, I think so. I commend you on your goals. America?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's a very rare species and a unique opportunity."

"Good luck, Miss Sparrow. Come to me if any problems arise."

"Thank you, professor."

One down.

-------

A softly repeated knock sounded. Miss Christine Reynolds walked in.

"Good morning, Miss Reynolds. This meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes."

"Yes, professor."

"Your performance in adequate in most of you classes. Your strong point seems to be in astronomy and muggle studies. Your transfiguration could be improved. I expect an E for my NEWT class. Did you have any thoughts as to your future career?"

"I planned on working at Madame Malkins until I had enough experience to run my own shop. She has already hired me to start working this summer, and then permanently when I finish here."

Another one who already knew what they wanted. Had she fallen asleep and this was all a dream?

"Very well. Continue to work hard."

Two down.

-------

A loud and unceasing knock sounded… over and over despite Minerva's multiple calls for the person to enter. Finally losing her patience, she waved the door open with her wand. Looking momentarily surprised, Mr. James Potter gathered his composure once more, ran a hand through his untidy hair, and sauntered into the room.

Definitely not a dream.

"Good morning, Professor of mine! May I say that you are looking particularly studious today? With just a single glance I am inspired to double my efforts in my school work."

Even if he were by some miracle serious in that statement, the double of nothing is still nothing. "Mr. Potter, we are here to discuss your future, not my appearance. This meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes." Just the third time saying it and she was tired of the sentence.

"Of course, professor." He gave a falsely serious nod and a jocular wink.

"I have no doubts that you will do well in most, if not all your OWLs. So what we discuss depends upon what you would like to do in your future. Have you given the matter any thought, Mr. Potter?"

"Hours have been devoted to this very subject, I swear!"

"And?" She raised an eyebrow, not wanting to know the answer.

"I believe that becoming a superhero is my only course of action. In my amazingly tight spandex costume I shall save the world, rescue and win the love of the beautiful Miss Evans, and rid the universe of penguins."

"Penguins?" Why was she even asking?

"Shifty creatures. Can't be trusted. You think they are cute, but it is all a clever ruse to hide their secret plans for world domination. Turn your back for one second and they'll slit the throat of the Minister for Magic." He made a motion with his finger across his throat.

"As amusing and worthy goal as it may be, have you any _real_ ideas as to your future?"

"Er… Quidditch? Or an auror. My parents say there really isn't a need for me to work."

"Very well. I would suggest looking over the Ministry pamphlets about auror work before you make a decision. That will be all for today."

Running a hand through his hair again, Mr. Potter swaggered out of the room.

Three down.

-------

She barely heard a light tap at the door when it was then followed by the familiar and annoying ceaseless rap from before. Once again, Minerva magically opened the door. A grinning Mr. Potter stood shrugging his shoulders while Mr. Pettigrew scurried into the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Pettigrew. This meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes. Have you any ideas about what you would like to do?"

"Euh… whatever James wants to do."

She raised an eyebrow—thanking the powers that be that she had that talent. "So you to will rid the world of penguins?"

The boy squirmed. "No. I don't want to do that. That's just James."

"I see." The boy shifted again and looked to be sweating. "Your goals are your own, Mr. Pettigrew. I suggest you do not follow Mr. Potter in this regard, if only for your own safety. Your scores are not the best, but you have been working hard. Is there anything you can do that would interest you as a career?"

"Euh, I like food. I could be a chef?"

"Do you have many cooking skills?"

"No. Toast is the only thing I don't burn."

"Have you given consideration to working in a shop, or even low level Ministry work? I believe that there are some departments that would suit you admirably. Look over these brochures. I'm sure you'll find something. If you need further guidance you know where to find me."

He nodded and left.

Four down; almost halfway there.

-------

A quiet and quick knock briefly sounded. Miss MacDonald entered.

"Good afternoon, Miss MacDonald. I trust you know why you are here. This meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes."

"Yes, professor. And with all due respect, I have already planned things."

A third one? Was there an epidemic of personal responsibility? Why didn't this happen during the rest of the school year?

"Have you?"

"Yes, professor. I love Herbology. It's my best subject, and so much fun! So I thought that a job with the Ministry funded Organisation for the Research and Development of Magical Plants and Herbs is the job for me. I just need top Herbology scores, along with decent OWL level scores in Potions, Charms, and Magical Creatures. Potions will be difficult, but I've made arrangements for better studying."

"Very well planned, Miss MacDonald. You may go."

"Thank you, professor."

Five down. Four to go.

-------

A study knock sounded. Mr. Lupin came in and sat down.

"Mr. Lupin, I think you already know that this meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes. Have you given your future any consideration?"

"I, er, prepared a list of options. I know that I won't be able to do any Ministry work because of… well, my…"

"Condition? Yes, I'm afraid you are limited by the current prejudices. Perhaps you could work to change them?"

"I was thinking of something quiet and out of the way, like a librarian. I'd really like to teach or work on research, but…"

"I think you will easily accomplish anything you set out to do, Mr. Lupin. I can only wish you good luck, and offer my assistance whenever you have need of it."

"Thank you, Professor."

Six down.

-------

A familiar knock sounded at the door. Miss Evans came in.

"Good afternoon, Professor. I hope things have been going well, what with all the career counselling and all. Potter wasn't on about his superhero plans again, was he?"

"I'm afraid so, Miss Evans."

The redheaded snorted. "Like that would ever happen."

"And what do you see in your future, Miss Evans?"

"St. Mungo's. I want to be a healer. I know my grades are adequate and I will continue to work hard. I'm going to try to improve them as much as I can. Healer training is extremely vigorous and I'll need every bit of knowledge I can get to prepare."

"I seem to be rather superfluous today."

"Well, to be perfectly honest Professor, all the Gryffindor girls got together and planned everything before hand so that we'd have everything we needed to know when we met with you."

"That explains it. Thank you, Miss Evans. I was afraid I was going mad."

"Never, Professor."

Two left. Oh gods.

-------

A knock of an unusual pattern sounded, as if someone were beating a rhythm out on the door. Miss Collins came in.

"I would like to say here and now that I had nothing to do with the Hamlet recitation by Sirius Black, and if anything I think it a good indication of the progress he has been making under my guidance in Muggle Studies," she said without taking a breath. Minerva was wondering if the girl had plans of being a singer with that lung capacity.

"Thank you, Miss Collins, but I hardly consider it an _appropriate_ indication."

"To pee or not to pee _was_ the question. And the rest was well adapted to the situation... until that bit about the rub, because it just led more about rubbing than anyone needs to hear."

Minerva cleared her throat. "At least there is enough indication of your own progress, which is what this meeting is about—not Mister Black and his theatrics. This meeting is to help you plan for your future and make sure you are prepared with the proper classes. But I have reason to believe that you are going to tell me you future plans in full detail."

"Smashing. Lily turned us in, didn't she? Spoiled the surprise, mangled the mystery, destroyed the dénouement—sounds like her."

Minerva thought it sounded like Miss Collins was fond of dramatic alliteration. "Yes, she did. If you would just continue with your plans."

"All right. World dictator."

"I beg your pardon?" She couldn't have heard what she thought she heard. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to throw her and Black together.

"I'm thinking world domination. Queen of the Cosmos has a nice ring to it. Either that or Supreme Empress of the Galaxies. Make my control over just one small globe a little more solid."

"Miss Collins…"

"You think it's too pretentious? I could just stick with Princess of Earth; it just doesn't have the punch that the other ones do." Definitely too much time with Black and Potter.

"Perhaps too ambitious. So much so that it is just absurd. Have you given serious thought to your future, or have you wasted your time preparing a long, detailed, fantastical plan to become the next Napoleon Bonaparte?"

"Well, I do have better plans than he did about invading Russia, one being don't do it any time even remotely near winter, but that's another meeting entirely."

"Miss Collins…"

"Right now my focus is on Ministry work. I want to get in there and change things, make some noise, and insert myself in the background pulling all the strings. My family has the money and influence, so why not use it for good? Knock down a few prejudices about blood status and half-breeds."

Maybe too much time with them, but not time badly spent. "I think it is a far worthier, to say nothing of actually attainable, goal. You understand it is more than just money that will help you?"

"I'll need top grades, or at least not dismal ones. I'm working hard and thinking that it is going to pay off soon."

"Very well. You may go."

One left.

-------

There was no knock. The door swung open, Black rushed in, closed the door, and leaned against it as he stared at her.

"Alone at last, my darling."

Minerva blinked once. "No flowers?"

"Our love has no need for such trifles. They mean nothing compared to our passion."

"Would you care to sit down, Mr. Black?"

"I love it when you call me by last name, so formal, so sexy. It just…"

She cleared her throat loudly and gave him her most scolding look. "Mr. Black, we are here to discuss your future."

"I can see it clearly whenever I'm with you. Holidays to the Continent, running through the blue waves of the Mediterranean. Christmases at home with the children playing around the tree. Oh yes, I can see our future. Be still my heart! The time will soon be when we are wrapped in the warmth of each other's b…"

"Mr. Black, as any word beginning with b placed in that sentence pushes past the bounds of all decency, you will refrain from continuing and focus on the matter at hand, which, if I may remind you, is your career after Hogwarts."

He fluttered his eyelashes and grinned wolfishly. "Of course, my pearl of academia. I see auror work for my future. But alas! How will it pay for our children with just your teacher's salary beside it? Perhaps I should consider curse breaking. It will break my heart to part from you for so long, to toil in the hot, cruel sands of Egypt dreaming of you in the moist, cool climes of my dearest England, but I must endure the sacrifices to prove my devotion."

"Either will be a decision well taken if you maintain the grades. I suggest paying better attention in class, and perhaps an actual attempt at your assignments. I think that will be all for now."

"But have not even had the chance to explain my plans for our wedding!"

"Good day, Mr. Black."

"Let us not say goodbye, but _au revoir_."

"Black!"

He gave a flourished bow and practically pranced out of the room.

Finally she was done. Gathering her papers neatly, she put them in her filing pile and left the office. Now all she had left in her schedule for the day was a trip to the hospital wing for a potion for her headache, and then a petition for saint-hood.

* * *

_Just a bit of humour for the holidays. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. If I get enough reviews I will put up another chapter or two before the next semester starts. Let's just say after this chapter things get _**very**_ interesting. Everything has been leading to this point. Review! _


	17. A Whomping Disaster

_All righty then! Another chapter up. The next will take some time as it is VERY important._ _This chapter is the big lead up, so it's not exactly all that cheery. But I tried to put in some humour to break up the depressing._

* * *

**April 1976**

**Hogwarts**

"Full moon tonight," Mina observed as she walked the corridors with Lily. She was helping Lily with her prefect duties under McGonagall's orders. There couldn't be a shortage of prefects with the April Fool Spirit running amuck in the castle. Peeves alone was making more mischief than the teachers could handle, not to mention the Marauders, or even just the seemingly average and innocent folk in the castle.

"Why do people keep saying that? First I overheard those Marauders talking about it, then Severus wanted to say something about it, and now you mention it."

"I was just saying it because it was shining through that window we just passed. I just… noticed it out loud."

"Fine. There's a full moon tonight. You happy?"

"I'm ecstatic. Thank you for asking."

Suddenly James Potter came running past them.

"Potter!" Lily yelled. He kept running. "Oi! No running!" He was gone. "Uhg! That toerag! No respect for the rules or authority."

"I wonder where he was going," Mina said.

"Does it matter?"

"Maybe."_He obviously was in a hurry_, Mina thought, _and I can't think why. Sirius was in detention with Snape under McGonagall's watch, Peter was playing exploding snap with some third years, and James was supposed to have detention with Filch up on the third floor. Detention would be over by now._

"Curfew is in a few minutes. Maybe he was running to the kitchens so that he didn't get caught out after hours."

"No, he would have had the cl…common sense to sneak, not run. And they wouldn't go until later when the prefects are more tired. There's no reason for him to be running down from the upper floors."

"Maybe he forgot something on the Quidditch pitch."

"Such as? No, it can't be that. He's too meticulous when it comes to his Quidditch equipment."

"Where's Remus?"

"Sick. That's why I'm here, remember?"

"Yes, and that's my point. Maybe he just got the news and went to see him."

"No, he knew. They all agreed not to… visit tonight because of the detentions. Do you think I should go see what's going on?"

"Be my guest. I could care less about what he's doing. Just make sure to let me know what was going on so that I can take points from him, or just threaten to do so."

"Sure."

"And don't take too long. Curfew is soon."

"Lily, I have a note."

"But he doesn… never mind, take as long as you need."

Mina ran down to the Entry Hall and saw James dragging an exceptionally pale Snape through the great doors.

"What…" she started.

Snape glared at her, colour returning to his face. "Black tried to kill me. What do you think of your boyfriend now?"

James hit the back of Snape's greasy head with his free arm. "Shut your gob! Mina, go get Professor Dumbledore."

"But did Sirius…"

Snape laughed and James didn't look at her. He looked angry… and ashamed.

"Oh god…"

"Not just princes, are they?" Snape sneered.

"Just go, Mina," James said, glaring at Snape. "He saw Moony."

Mina didn't need telling twice (_well, technically she did_). She ran. She ran all the way up to the gargoyle only to realise that she didn't know the password.

She screamed out in frustration and kicked over a suit of armour, and she began to swear at the top of her lungs.

"Miss Collins!" McGonagall shouted as she and the Headmaster came down the staircase that just appeared. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for such violent and vulgar behaviour."

"Yes ma'am. Sir, you're needed. James has… he caught… Snape saw Remus." She then pointed to the full moon shining through a nearby window.

He nodded to her. There was no twinkle in his eyes now. "Minerva, I suggest you fetch Horace. I will see both of you and the boys in my office." He then ran to fetch the boys.

"In this case your outburst is understandable," McGonagall said. "But it is not excusable. I will forego giving you detention, but the points taken will remain so."

"Yes ma'am."

"Go back to the Tower and try to get some sleep. I don't think I need tell you not to speak of this to anyone?"

"No ma'am."

"Goodnight, Miss Collins." She then hurried off to carry out Dumbledore's instructions.

When Mina entered the Common Room it was still full of students finishing their last bits of studying before going to bed. She saw Peter sitting with an unusually sulky and rather pale Sirius Black. He looked up and saw her when she came in. Mina turned her gaze away and started walking as calmly as she could to the girls' stairs.

Halfway there she felt someone grab her arm and pull back.

"Collins," Black said.

Mina looked at him and he recoiled slightly. Anger and betrayal were etched in every feature of her face. Roughly she yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me!" she said evenly, coldly. She then ran up the stairs to her dormitory. She changed into her nightgown and closed the bed curtains around her. She could hear footsteps on the stairs.

"Mina?" she heard Sally call as the girl came into the room.

"What happened?" asked Lily's voice.

"Mina?" Sally repeated.

"Nothing. Just leave me alone." Mina was surprised at how even her voice stayed. But as soon as the girls were gone she fought the choking sobs, not allowing any tears to fall, and clutched the stuffed dog.

-------

"You're a right berk, you know," James said. He was sitting under their usual tree by the lake. Sirius was hiding in the tree. They were both missing lunch.

The night before Snape had been sworn to silence under threat of expulsion. Sirius had been given detention every night until the end of the term—not to mention being told to stay away from Snape as much as possible. Remus had stayed in the Hospital Wing during morning classes. Undoubtedly, Dumbledore had informed him of what happened the previous night sometime after breakfast. Lily had scolded James severely about running about the castle after hours, and had taken fifteen points from her own house. Mina had moved seats in all of her classes and was apparently under Lily's guidance for the rest of the term. She wasn't speaking to any of the Marauders, not even a good morning to Peter. And no one else in the school had a clue.

"Admit it," James continued. "You. Are. A. Berk." Silence. He might as well have been talking to the tree. It certainly looked like that with Sirius well hidden high in the branches. "Just say it. It might make things better."

"How will it make things better, you four-eyed git?"

"It means I'm right. And me being right makes me happy."

Silence again.

"You made a mistake. You were an idiot. You let your fat gob get the best of you. So just admit that you are a complete pillock."

"All right. I'm a wanker."

"A bit strong, but still fitting."

"Get stuffed."

"And just how am I to do that? I'm skipping lunch and the happiness that is stuffing my face with food because you are a wanker."

"Fine." Sirius jumped down from the tree. "I better get to class. Go have lunch."

"Class isn't for another half hour!" he yelled after Sirius, not moving from the tree. "Great. This is just wonderful."

"Prongs, why are you talking to a tree?" Remus asked as he approached the tree.

"Oh you know, Arbour Day is coming. I thought before hugging the tree I might just get to know it better first."

"Sirius up there?"

"Not anymore. Didn't he pass you?"

"No, but_Padfoot_ could have slipped by without being seen."

"Great. This whole thing is just fantastic!"

Remus let out a long and tired sigh. "Do _you_ want to tell me what happened?"

James picked up a rock and threw it into the lake. A few seconds later it came flying back, a tentacle just barely breaking the surface after it. "Snape was sticking his overly large greasy nose where it shouldn't go. Sirius decided to have a bit of fun by letting the Willow beat him up. He told the slimy git that if he was so interested in where you were going to hit his head on the Willow's knots, and maybe it would help his brain think better. Who could have known that greasy bastard would figure it out? Sirius came back to the common room laughing about it. I only ran down to make sure the Willow didn't kill the pile of slime. I never expected to find the Willow frozen and him practically in the shack."

"So this whole thing is just a case of Sirius being Sirius?"

"Basically. And Snivellus being too stupid to save his own stupid life."

"But Sirius has learned his lesson?"

"What lesson is that? Sulking 101?"

Remus nodded miserably. "But how did they react when they found out that all of you know about me?"

"Dumbledore seemed to expect it. How could we not figure it out? Then old McGoogles gave a long lecture on how we boys need to be more careful, and to keep our mouths shut about it, and so on. The only ones in trouble are Sirius and Snivellus." James then started pacing in frustration. "Do you have any idea how this is going to affect our last Quidditch match?"

Remus just stared blankly at James.

"The team dynamic is all off now! Padfoot's sulking, and it's only made worse by Collins who won't talk to him and help cheer him up. Do you have any idea how bad it's going to be with my beater and seeker off their game?"

-------

"All right," Sally said angrily as she walked into the dormitory and found Mina working on her essays alone. "Something is wrong. I might go as far to say that something is monstrously wrong, a phrase I wouldn't use normally because it sounds so…" She waved a hand.

"Bad romance novel?" Mina offered dully.

"Yes! That's it exactly. Now you are going to tell me exactly what happened that night. Because whatever it was, it was big. You don't stop talking to the Marauders just for no reason. You and Sirius were getting along so well and now…" She just let out a sigh.

Mina just kept scratching her quill across her parchment.

"Mina, what is going on?" Sally said quietly, just loud enough for the other girl to hear. "I don't like this. You rarely eat anything at meals anymore. If you aren't at meals or in class you're here. It's not only you either. I've never seen Sirius so upset. Neither of you have smiled in two weeks. I can only imagine how bad Quidditch practice is going."

"You've seen James then?"

"Who hasn't? He's been moaning and whining this whole week."

"Talk to_him_ then."

"Fine. I will." Sally got up and left. This was going to stop if it took her the last two months of the term.

They boys weren't in the common room, so she started to wonder the halls. She didn't find James, but coming around a corner she bumped right into Sirius Black. He looked at her and started to mumble an apology.

"We need to talk," Sally told him directly.

"Why?"

"As if you don't know. Have you seen Mina lately? And you don't need to answer because I've seen you staring at her. You look like a puppy who has just been kicked, and she looks like her dog just died. I'd say toad as she doesn't have a dog, but that's mixing metaphors. So snap out of it! This isn't good for either of you. If you both would just _talk_ to each other and work this out, then things would go back to normal! Okay?"

He just stared at her wide-eyed and then nodded.

"Good!" Sally walked away and back to the common room.

Instead of going beck to the Tower and being under the watch of a mad Sparrow, Sirius turned and headed down to the kitchens. He was picking at a plate of chips when Remus came in and sat next to him.

"I thought you might be here," Remus said.

"Why's that then?" He violently stabbed at the chips with his fork.

"A little bird told me," he said, a smile playing across his face.

"You too, then?"

"If you mean Sally Sparrow accosting me and firmly letting me know that things need to be talked through by more than one pair of people, then yeah."

"Bloody bird."

"She has a point though. We can't go on like this. Merlin, this sounds like a bad soap opera." Remus laughed, but was the only one to do so. "Padfoot, I'm not mad at you. You made a stupid mistake. Snape's smarter than you gave him credit for. And the point is I forgive you. You didn't mean it to happen. I'm still a little disappointed that you wanted Snape to get beat up, but that's normal. So, can we let things get back to normal?"

"Sure."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Just then the other two boys of the group walked in.

"There you are," James said. "Are things all right now? Will my best beater battle beautifully by the next match?"

"What's with the alliteration, Prongs?" Remus asked, staring at him like he had just grown a second head.

James shrugged his shoulders and gave a cheeky grin. A plate of chips then crashed over his head. While James started babbling irately, Sirius barked with laughter.

-------

Lily flipped through her history text. The fact that it was mid-May and the OWLs were just a couple weeks away was making her a nervous wreck. She was sure she had seen some goblin rebel that would be pivotal in her essay, but she was having a hard time concentrating on finding it. It also didn't help that Sally kept looking past Lily at something on the other side of the common room. It was getting annoying. Mina was working alone in the dormitory.

"What are you looking at?" Lily finally let out.

"Nothing."

"Bollocks."

Sally's eyes widened at Lily's expletive. "Well, the Marauders look like they are back to normal."

"So?"

"So if they are back to normal, why isn't Mina?"

"Who knows?"

"Could you possibly just stop studying for one second and think about this, Lily? I'm really worried about Mina. I try talking to her, but I'd have more luck talking to a tree. Do you think you could take a moment and care about this?"

Lily stared at Sally, hurt that the blonde could think that she didn't care. "I'll try talking to her. But this is her problem. We can't help with something we don't know about."

Sally rolled her eyes and turned back to her studying, still flicking her eyes towards the Marauders. Lily got up and walked up to the dormitory.

"Why don't you come and study with us, Mina?" she asked while leaning against Mina's bedpost.

"It's quieter here."

"With OWLs so close? The common room is dead quiet."

"I'm fine here."

"No you aren't. You are in a state of definite not fineness."

"Not fineness?"

"Fineness is a word, and you do not have it."

"You're using fineness in the wrong context. It means something completely different: an adjective for metal quality."

"Whatever. I'm using it how I want. You are not showing any signs of fineness."

"You sound like James."

"Find fault with my grammar and vocabulary all you want, Collins, but don't insult me."

"Sorry."

"Don't be." Lily sat on the bed. "What's going on, Mina? If it were any other person, I'd say avoiding the Marauders meant they finally gained some sense. But it's you. Gaining sense isn't possible for you."

"Are you now saying I'm senseless? Because once again…"

"I know. I am familiar with the English language surprisingly enough. Stop putting words in my mouth." Mina rolled her eyes. "So, one minute you are friends with Black, the next you won't speak to him or his mates. Not to mention the little black rain cloud permanently fixed over your head. What happened that night you went after Potter?"

"Nothing."

"Am I going to have to beat it out of you? Just because I don't like jinxing people doesn't mean I won't."

"I don't know exactly what happened."

"I beg your pardon?"

"James was dragging Snape into the castle. Snape said some things about Sirius that James didn't deny. Since they are then true, Black isn't the person I thought he was. End of story."

"End of abridged story, but okay. I know you probably don't want to, but you should double check your facts. Just in case you've got the wrong idea. Stop torturing yourself and go talk to one of them. I can talk to Severus if you'd like. So we get a clearer picture, not just first impressions." She got up to leave. "No, wait! Why was _James_ dragging _Severus_ _into_ the castle?"

"Um… must have been something Sirius told Snape. All I know is that James saved him when he was too close to the Willow. But I never did get those particulars."

"Why would _anyone_ go near enough to the Willow to let it…" The question trailed off unfinished.

"Talk to Snape?"

"If you promise to talk to one of those Marauders and get this all sorted out."

"Sure."

* * *

_Next chapter is going to cover Snape's worst memory and the Prince's tale. So it will take a bit for me to make sure everything fits. I may even have to rewrite this chapter. I don't know yet. In the meantime, REVIEW PLEASE! You're comments are the key for me getting things right. Thank you to all who have stuck with this and have reviewed!_


	18. In Memoriam

_Again, I'm really sorry this is taking so long to update. Things went completely crazy for a while. So I'll put everything I need to say at the end and let you get right to the next part._

* * *

**June 1976**

**Hogwarts**

Remus sat studying for his OWLs in the library. James and Sirius were back to their normal selves, no doubt off tormenting some lower classmen all in the name of fun. He looked up from his book and scanned the immediate area. There was still no sign of Lily. They had arranged to meet to study, and it wasn't like her to be late.

He hunched back over his book. The words just blurred together. The stress was starting to get to him—not to mention the fact that the next full moon was only a little over a week away. Just in time for the week of OWLs. The Powers That Be really had it out for him.

He looked up again. This time he saw the familiar dark red hair. He was a bit surprised to see that the redhead was dragging along a head of messy black hair.

Gripping Mina's arm firmly, Lily came to Remus' table and sat down.

"All right, Remus," Lily said brightly. Mina rolled her eyes and waved a hand.

"Hey Lily," he said, eying the two girls carefully. "I wasn't expecting to see you, Mina." He smiled, hoping to convey that the surprise was welcome. She gave a half attempt at a smile back.

"Mina here," Lily began, "has been privy to parts of a tale that have noticeably upset her, and you and your friends. Care to help clear all this up for us? You are probably the best person to talk to, what with actually acting human, unlike those toerags."

He locked gazes with Mina. They both seemed to be thinking the same thing: Lily. Tread carefully.

"Um, right. That night. From what I've heard Padfoot was shooting off his big mouth again. Tried a creative approach to telling Snape to piss off, but unfortunately it led him to the Willow."

"Severus has been rather curious about that passage in the Willow," Lily said. "And I bet you boys have figured out a way around the Willow."

"Er… yeah."

"So shooting off his mouth involved a Freudian slip of letting Severus know how to get past the killer branches?" Lily proposed.

"Yeah, but he didn't know what's in the passage."

"What is there?"

"Let's just say something not safe for a student to approach alone. We had a narrow escape with the four of us there."

Mina smiled, apparently imagining the truth hidden in the lie. Oh, they've had some narrow escapes all right.

"And Potter was involved why?" Lily asked, not catching the look between Remus and Mina.

"He was worried about Snape. He may delight in hexing the Slytherin, but he would never do anything to seriously injure him."

"That's Potter," Lily spat. "Doesn't want to hurt anyone, but hurting feelings and causing absolute humiliation are just fine."

"He's not that bad, Lily," Mina said.

"Oh, you're defending him again?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Now that I know, yeah. Maybe you should find Snape and get his story now. Make sure you're right to defend him." She turned to Remus. "Thanks Moony."

"All right," Lily got up and left, giving Remus a farewell smile.

"So you've forgiven him?" Mina asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah."

"When will you speak with him?"

"Later. I still need a bit of time to take this in."

"Two months?"

"I've gone longer." She sighed. "I just don't want to deal with this until after the OWLs. Then I'll speak to him. I'm going to forgive him as soon as I stop hating him."

"So until Judgement Day?"

"Very funny. So charms. Do you want to give me a hand in the study department?"

"Sure."

-------

The fourth day of OWLs began just like any other day at Hogwarts for Sirius Black. He made a special effort to ensure it. Since everyone realised the tests were so close they had decided to go insane. So Sirius was making a point of remaining the same as ever. He got up and went to breakfast just like any normal day.

"All right, Moony?" he said as he clapped his friend's back and sat next to him at the Gryffindor table. "You look a bit peaky today."

"I said he was turning green around the edges," James said with a cheeky grin.

"It's not right. Not natural," Remus said to Peter.

"What?" whispered Peter, looking a little green himself.

"Them." He motioned to the other two Marauders. "No sign of fear or nerves or panic or anything. You'd think they were going on a picnic today."

"But we are!" James said while Sirius laughed. "It promises to be a rather fine day out there, so after the tests I say we go outside and frolic in the glorious sunshine."

"Here here!" Sirius said loudly.

He then noticed that his shout had attracted Collins' attention. As soon as he stared at her she turned back to her porridge.

"She's going to forgive you," Remus said so that just Sirius could hear.

"What?"

"She finally found out what happened in as much detail as I could give. She's going to forgive you. I think she already has, but she's stubborn."

"She's Collins." He spent a few moments just watching her eat her porridge. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just give her a little time."

-------

"Lily!" Mina bounced on the red-head's bed with a large grin on her face.

"Sally, why does Mina look like the cat that just caught the canary?" Lily asked with a confused smile. "More importantly, why is Miss so-glum-I'm-just-going-to-mope-for-two-months grinning like the Cheshire Cat?"

Sally grinned herself. "It might—and I'm taking quite a leap here—it just might have something to do with the fact that we just out marauded the Marauders."

"What? How?"

"Well," Mina began with the first display of enthusiasm in weeks. "After you told off Potter and just left after that insult from Snape—I'll try to refrain from the 'I-told-you-so' I really want to say, not to mention the special 'I-was-right' dance I've prepared—the boys decided to just pick up where they left off before your interruption. But the idea of seeing Snape minus his pants was too gross to handle, let alone the actual and literal realisation of this idea, so Sally and I decided to step in. Took a page from American coppers during all of those protest thingies they've had."

"Which means," Sally cut in, "we conjured a very large and powerful stream of water to knock all of the wands out of play."

"And added a bit of soap to the mix." Mina grinned evilly. "What with all that foul language running amuck. Their mouths needed a good washing."

"You're joshing me," Lily said, her eyes wide.

"Nope." Mina's grin got even bigger.

"So," Sally said. "Girls all afternoon study session up here? Because Mary said she wanted our help, but away from any distractions."

"You mean Christine and Gordon talking her to death by boredom?" Mina asked snidely.

"They aren't that bad," Lily protested. "Gordon's really sweet, and he's a sixth year."

"Meaning?" Mina shrugged her shoulders.

"Meaning he'd be useful with the studying. He's already done his OWLs."

"And didn't do that well. Added to the fact that he doesn't shut up about his favourite wizard rock bands."

"Just because you prefer muggle music doesn't mean that…"

"Enough!" Sally shouted. "We have work to do. I'll go get Mary." She left.

"Well?" Lily asked.

"Well? Well what?"

"Have you talked things out with…"

"Not yet. After the exams. I'm not so good with the multitasking."

"No. I can't argue with you there."

"Thanks. Anyways, last test and I'm back to normal. You cool with that?"

"Just groovy." She didn't sound sincere.

"James does have his good points."

"Stop."

"Not until you see reason."

"If—and this is a very strong _if_—he ever decides to show some semblance of maturity, then fine. I'll think about giving him a chance."

"You'll_think_ about it?"

"Yes. Can you not understand just how much I hate him?"

"Fine line between hate and like. I should know."

"What?"

"Mary's not coming," Sally said walking back into the room.

"Why not?" Lily asked her attention diverted.

"She's got a study date with a cute Ravenclaw in the library. She'll be back here later tonight if we want to do a little review or something."

"Sure." Lily nodded.

-------

"Can you believe them?" James ranted, still spewing water. The Marauders trudged up the stairs to their dormitory to change and dry off. Well, two of the four. The others were just there for support.

"Not much to believe," Remus said still smirking from the incident. "It obviously _happened_, Prongs."

"Shut it, Moony. You didn't get soaked. Not a drop on you. Not to mention the soap!"

As they walked into the dorm, Remus was suddenly tackled to the floor by a dripping Sirius. Sirius then got up and shook out a heavy rain of drops from his robes and hair.

"Now he's wet," Sirius said with a wink.

"Gah!" was the only noise the now wet Remus could make.

Peter wiped the drops that had hit him in the face with the nonchalance of one often prone to these sorts of events.

"So?" James was right back to his ranting. "Are we going to saddle up and get revenge? What's our plan of attack? I think we may need to call a council of war."

"No," Sirius stated simply while grabbing a towel.

"No?" James looked at him as if he had grown another head. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no. We don't hex Collins. That's the end of it."

"But she hit us! We don't let that slide by."

"We_don't_ hit her back!"

"If anything we should thank her," Remus added in.

"Why's that?" Peter asked with genuine curiosity.

"Do you_really_ want to see what Snape's got under those nasty drawers?"

"See!" Sirius said, lighting up like a dog with a bone. "Moony wins case and point. Not to mention the fact that you yourself said we don't hex Gryffindor girls."

James glared, water still dripping down his face. "And you once said that Collins wasn't a girl. Did you not see the blood? The buggering git drew blood. He deserved it. It was our fight. They didn't need to step in like that."

"Come on, Prongs!" Remus continued. "It was the only way to end the confrontation without someone ending up in the hospital wing. A confrontation, I might add, that should never have happened considering Padfoot here is under strict orders not to go anywhere near Snape."

"He was bored!" James argued, but he stamped off to get his towel with the realisation that he was defeated. "Bloody bird, mucks up everything."

"Actually, I'd also thank Sparrow for giving you your annual shower," Sirius said with a bark.

"What!"

And thus began the great Towel War of 1976.

-------

The three girls were still studying when Mary came into the room.

"Lily," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Snape wants to see you."

"Tell him to go away."

"He's outside the portrait hole, and says he'll spend the night there if you don't speak with him."

"You want me to hex him?" Mina asked with an innocent smile.

"You wouldn't last five seconds. No, I suppose I have no choice but to talk to him." Lily left the room.

The three remaining kept studying until she returned a few minutes later. No one said anything. When they were all about to get into their beds, Mina and Lily locked glances.

"It's over. After… It's over."

Mina just nodded and closed her bedcurtains.

-------

Finally the last day of OWLs had arrived. Mina bounced down the stairs. Like everyone (with the exception of a certain Sirius Black whom she was paying _no_ attention to) Mina had been prone to the OWL madness. Luckily for her it wore off after the second test. So she was bouncing down the stairs to breakfast as if it were any other day.

Lily was already at the table in the Great Hall, book in hand. The Marauders were also there stuffing their faces as usual. Well, James and Sirius looked their usual selves, Remus still had a cloud of nerves hanging over him, and Peter was obviously hungry. Lily had put most of the table between herself and the boys. But when Mina sat next to her, she caught Sirius' eyes. She gave a slight smile and a small wave of her hand. He looked happily shocked for a brief moment, but quickly regained his composure and gave a suave nod of his head. That done, Mina turned to her breakfast and annoying Lily with her worry-free attitude.

Mina was determined to talk to Sirius today. But with the last tests there never seemed to be a chance. Finally they were over. She spotted Sirius a ways down the hall. They locked gazes. She smiled again. He motioned with a head nod to the outside. She was nodding and starting to walk over to him when McGonagall came out of nowhere.

"Miss Collins, would you come with me?"

Mina had been in trouble enough with old McGoogles to know when the old bird was disappointed, upset, or about to punish someone. This was different. This sent a shiver down Mina's spine.

With one last look at Sirius, Mina followed McGonagall. When she was taken to the Headmaster's office she really began to worry.

"Please sit down, Miss Collins," Dumbledore said. She couldn't read any emotion in his voice, but the twinkle in his eyes was gone—or at least it was very different now. "I'm afraid I have the gravest of news for you. Your father was travelling by muggle ship when the boat was overtaken by a storm. There were no survivors."

Mina had to fight down giggles trying to burst out in a smile. This was no sort of news for that… and yet it had to be a joke. "When did it happen?" she asked, forcing the smile away, trying to grasp onto what he was telling her.

"About a fortnight ago. His body was taken back to his family in America to be buried in the family plot. I thought it best to let you finish your OWLs. I believe your father would have wanted that."

"Yes." Now it was sinking in. She now had to fight down the pain clutching her chest. "What happens now?"

"That depends on you. If you would like to stay here and finish your education at Hogwarts we will contact your family here."

"I have no family here."

"Not on your father's side. We will contact your mother's relatives. Until then, you will need to take care of things at your home, Allerton."

"So I go home, pack everything, close up the house, and then move in with relatives I never knew existed?" She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"If you would like. The other option is to leave here completely for America."

"No. I'll stay."

"Then I am allowing you to leave today to get things set. I am sorry for keeping this from you, but it was for the best."

"Yes, of course. I guess there's nothing left for me to do but to go pack. I assume I'm travelling by Knight Bus."

"Yes. You've travelled that way before." It was a statement and not a question. "Hagrid will escort you off Hogwarts grounds."

Mina nodded and left. She made it to her dormitory without meeting any of her friends. Everyone was outside enjoying the warm weather. Celebrating. Mina threw her trunk together and floated it down to the Entry Hall with her. Hagrid was waiting just outside. Staying in his shadow, Mina was fairly sure that no one saw her leave. Hagrid said something about his father's death, but Mina wasn't listening. Once in Hogsmeade she held out her wand hand and got into the familiar purple bus.

* * *

_First of all, I would like to offer my apologies to _ Lady Saffron of the Daggers. _She hoped nothing bad would happen to Mina's father back in the beginning. Unfortunately it was planned from the beginning and I couldn't give it away._

_On another note, **if Mina's reaction seems unnatural I'm very sorry. I based it on my own reactions to my grandmother's recent death**. And that is why this has taken so long. Between the funeral and making up the school work I missed, my life went completely out of control. Things have improved though. _

_The next chapter should be up soon. Since it ties in so closely with this one it is almost complete now. The speed with which I get it done and up depends upon the reviews I get. So more reviews equals faster update. Please review. _


	19. Relations

_Sorry for the wait. I didn't intend to take so long. Thank you to the four who reviewed. I had hoped for more before continuing, but I don't want to leave this hanging any longer. And as a special note: Lady Saffron of the Daggers, I hope this helps cheer you up a little. _

_So here we go!_

* * *

**Letter from Albus Dumbledore to Mina Collins**

Miss Collins,

Your mother's brother has agreed to be you guardian until you come of age. He will come to Allerton tomorrow to take you to your new home. I hope things are well.

Deepest sympathies,

A. P. W. B. Dumbledore

111111111111111111111111111111111111

**July 1976**

**Potter Residence**

"Whachya doing, Mum?" James asked while watching his rearranging the sofa cushions for the fifth time in the past half hour.

"What?" she asked mindlessly, still fluffing the cushions. "Oh yes, er, nothing, James. I'm just tidying up a bit."

"The last time you 'just tidied up a bit' Aunt Laurel came to stay for three weeks. Please tell me she's not coming."

"Oh no, dear, she's not. But…" There was something she wasn't telling him. He knew this behaviour. Something had changed, some decision made without him, someone was coming, and his lovely old mum didn't know how to tell him.

"Where's dad?" he asked. He hadn't seen his father all day, not even at breakfast. Well, he could hardly call it all day as it was only a little after noon.

"He's gone to get your cousin."

"What cousin?"

"His sister's daughter. Her father just died so she will be staying with us."

"Wait. What? Neither of you ever said anything about Aunt Odette having a kid. I thought Dad never liked her."

"No dear! He loved his sister. He just… After she died, her husband cut all ties with us. He and your father never liked each other. And Odette's death just made things worse. The poor man went mad with grief. He didn't want us to have anything to do with him or his daughter. Your father never brought it up because it was easier for him just to forget he had a niece. He's never seen her. Not a picture or anything. She'd be about your age, though. She's someone you know."

"Right, that would be a laugh."

"She does go to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore said she was in your year."

James then tried thinking of all the girls in his year. He couldn't come up with anyone who stood out as a potential relative. This was definitely going to be interesting.

A bell chimed. It was his mum's alarm for one of the family coming home.

"That will be you father," his mother said. "Please be on your best behaviour. Your father may have detested the man, but your cousin is grieving. I won't hear a word against the dead in this house. From _anyone_. And none of your little pranks, either."

"I'll be the prince of model behaviour."

His mother just gave a nod that spoke volumes, mostly that she didn't believe him for one instant and that she was just waiting for him to pull some sort of nonsense.

James just grinned in return and went out to the hall to see if his dad needed any help.

"Ah James!" his father said as soon as he saw him. "Come and meet your cousin."

Then she walked into the hall.

Then the world ended.

"Bloody hell!"

"Language, young man," his father said.

"Collins?" James could feel his eyes popping out of his head. He was surprised that they didn't push the lenses out of his glasses. He looked at his father. "Mina is my cousin?"

His father nodded, looking bemused at his son's bewilderment. Of course, bewilderment didn't nearly cover what James was feeling. It was almost as if his entire world had fallen out from under his feet. Or that someone had told him Quidditch was no longer played on brooms.

"Good afternoon, James," she replied coolly.

"You know each other," his father said. He sounded relieved. "Would you take Mina's things up and show her to her room?" It wasn't a request.

"I put her in the room just down from yours, James," his mother said from somewhere behind him. She came out into the hall. "Welcome home, dear. Mina is it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"There's no need for ma'am here. Just Aunt Dora. Now why don't you get those things upstairs?"

James nodded and grabbed the trunk. Mina trailed up the stairs behind him. He couldn't stop himself from looking back at her every few steps. She kept her eyes on the carpet and didn't seem to notice. That was odd. Collins usually noticed.

"Well," he said opening the door to a very pink room. "This is it. It's what I like to call Madam Puddifoot chic."

"Not enough lace," she said blankly. She pulled in one of her bags and looked around the room. "It's nice."

"Really? Was your old room this… pink?"

"No, it was more of a white on white. Lots more lace."

"Oh." He stood staring at her.

"What?"

"We're _cousins_!"

"Yes, James. Now stop staring at me." She kept her voice very even. That was wrong. She was wrong. Well, something was wrong with her and making her not very Mina-ish.

"Are you okay?"

"Just lovely, James." Still even and void of any emotion, but with a slight lacing of mild sarcasm. But not her usual joking sarcasm. "My father's dead, and now not only am I living with you but I'm related to you. My day's just going wonderfully. Could you leave while I unpack?"

"Sure."

111111111111111111111111111111111111

Things only got worse as the week went on.

"Mum! I'm serious. Something is wrong with Mina."

"James, you are overreacting. She's had a shock and a lot of grief. She'll go back to normal, but you must give her time."

"She just sits in her room all day. She's not even reading, or watching Doctor How. That's not normal!"

"James, I know you don't think much of it, but patience is a virtue. Now try to be a virtuous boy and calm down."

"Fine, I'll go talk to Dad."

"No you won't. Your father is having his own problems to work out. Not to mention all the extra projects he has at the Ministry. Stop worrying, everything is fine. Grief changes some people, but things will get better given a little time."

111111111111111111111111111111111111

A few days later, Mrs. Potter was just putting out the tea for herself, James, and Mina when the doorbell rang.

"James!" his mother shouted. "Could you get the door?"

He came bounding down the stairs and rushed to the door. She heard her son open it, but then there was silence. She walked out of the parlour to the door. On the front step stood Sirius Black with a large trunk.

"Hi, Mrs. Potter. I've… er… I've run away. Can I…?"

"Of course!" Sirius had visited enough and James had talked enough for her not to need any explanations. "Of course you can stay here. We'd be delighted for you to move in! I'm just getting the tea ready. Come in. Don't just stand there, James. Help him with his trunk up to his room."

"Couldn't you just magic it up?"

"And let those Quidditch muscles go to waste, dear?" She grinned, having long ago adopted the famous Potter grin. The boys just shook their heads and carried the trunk upstairs.

"Padfoot, you will never guess what's happened," James said when they were up the stairs and walking down the hall to the room that had gradually become Sirius's room.

But before either could say anything else, Mina walked out of her room.

"James, has your mother set out the…" She stopped when she saw Sirius.

"Prongs, Collins is in your house," Sirius said, his eyes wider than a deer's caught by headlights.

"Yeah, I was about to tell you. And yes, the tea is ready," he said in Mina's direction. She then nodded and left for the parlour.

"Prongs, Collins is in your house."

"We've pretty much established that, Padfoot."

"Is she visiting? Did her father finally decide to let her spend the summer with actual people?"

"He's dead. So don't say anything to her about him."

"What? How? When? What?"

"It happened just before the OWLs. Apparently her mum is my dad's sister, so she came here. I'm really worried about her, though. She's not acting like Mina at all. Even when she wasn't speaking to us she would do that trying to hide a smile at my jokes thing. Now, nothing. Not even a smirk. Could you try and talk to her? Bring the old Collins back?"

"How am I supposed to do that? We haven't exactly been best mates lately."

"But you were before! It was creepy coming back from Christmas. I was almost jealous. Please, Pads! She's really scaring me."

"Yeah, I'll try."

As they went down to tea, Sirius paused to glance through the open door to Collins' empty room. It was very girly, probably due to Mrs. Potter overcompensating for finally getting the daughter she always wanted. But among all the pink one thing caught his eye. Sitting on a white lace pillow was the little stuffed dog he had given her two years ago.

Sitting through tea, and later that night dinner, Sirius completely agreed with James. Something was horribly wrong with Collins. She picked at her food, not with a deliberate intention of not eating—he had seen that a lot over the years with Collins. But it was as if she wasn't even aware the food was there. That was an unforgivable crime. Mrs. Potter's cooking beat the Hogwarts elves any day.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

By the next night he and James had had enough. Something was very wrong and Sirius had to get to the bottom of it. Dressed in his pyjamas, he knocked on Mina's closed door.

"Come in."

He opened the door, walked into the room, and then closed the door behind him. She was tucked in bed with _Hogwarts, A History_, and his dog right at her elbow. He just stood there for a few moments. Mina once declared that between Remus and Lily she would never have to read _Hogwarts, A History_.

"Did you want something?"

"I don't want to intrude."

"You aren't."

"Oh."

A long awkward pause. How was he supposed to do this?

"Is it all like Moony says it is?" he asked.

"What is?"

"The book. Because I figure practical experience beats that old thing any day."

"Oh. Yeah." She looked down at the book as if noticing it for the first time. She put it on her night table and grabbed the dog.

"You kept him." Sirius pointed to the stuffed toy.

She gave a ghost of a smile. "I like him." The hints of a smile faded again into blankness.

"Are you all right, Collins?" She looked at him. "No, that's a stupid question. Of course you're not all right."

Silence again.

"Do you miss him a lot?"

"How can you miss someone you never knew?" Finally there was some emotion in her voice—not much, and he wasn't sure what—but it was there.

"You don't mean that." He sat on the bed next to her. "I remember you talking about things getting worse, that he was getting more distant. That means at one time you must have known him."

"Do you know your parents?"

"That's different."

Another silent pause.

"Yes, I do know them," he said. "That's why I had to leave. For good."

He grabbed the dog out of her hands.

"No!" She tried to take it back, but he held it out of her reach.

"Mina…"

She stopped reaching. He watched the tears spill out of her eyes. Not knowing what else to do he just held her. This time the silence wasn't awkward but necessary.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

James was leaving his room when he noticed Sirius' door was open. He stuck his head in and saw that the bed was still made. That could only mean it wasn't slept in. Odd. He walked down to Mina's room, knocked and opened the door a bit.

"Mina, do you know where… never mind." He quickly ducked out of the doorway and went back to Sirius' room and waited.

"Hey Prongs," Sirius said while walking into the room. "Listen, about that…"

"About what? I saw nothing. I most definitely didn't see you and Mina getting out of the same bed. Nope. I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Prongs… I think things will be better now. I think Mina will be able to get back to her usual Minaness."

"What?"

"She's going to be fine. She even managed to laugh after seeing your face when you…"

"No, I got that part. Go back to the part where it was Mina. Since when is she called Mina?"

"That's her name, James."

"Not to you. To you it's always Collins."

"Well, it's Mina now. Not shut it and let's get breakfast."

James stared at both of them while shovelling his eggs into his mouth. Mina was still quiet and not as happy as normal, but after Sirius whispered something to her, she and Sirius kept looking at each other and smiling. When they all had finished breakfast, James followed the two outside.

"All right," he said. "What is going on? Do I even want to know what happened last night?" Both of them burst out laughing. James was very confused. "What?"

"You think that…" Mina said trying to control her laughter. "You think we… last night… Us with the…"

"Huh?"

"What Mina is trying to say is that nothing happened," Sirius said as he stopped laughing. He was just grinning madly.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Mina added.

"So you both didn't…"

"No," they both said.

James then paused, and looked to be thinking about it for a minute.

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"I beg your pardon?" Mina stared at him wide-eyed.

"You're losing your touch, Padfoot. A great looking bird in the same bed and nothing happened." Sirius stopped grinning and looked as if he was about to argue. James shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like I'm going to have to take your title of Hogwarts' ladies' man."

Mina then rolled her eyes while Sirius launched himself at a laughing James, and the two boys rolled on the lawn. They stopped when they heard Mrs. Potter calling for Mina. She left and the boys sat on the grass catching their breath after the brief tussle.

"So Mina really is fine now?"

Sirius nodded. "She needed to cry. Stupid girl just held it all in trying to be brave."

"That's it? Why do we even bother with girls? They don't make any sense."

"Don't I know it."

* * *

_Okay, there's another chapter. PLEASE review. I'd like to know if more than maybe five people like the story. There will be another chapter covering the rest of the summer. Then when school starts things are going to get interesting. Project Prongs will begin. If you have any ideas on how Mina, Sally, and the Marauders are going to get Lily to like James, please leave them in a review! It's one detail I haven't worked out completely, so if I get a really good idea from a loving reader then I'll be able to write it up faster. _

_And for some really good news, the semester ends in four weeks! I'll then be able to update at my usual speed of once or even twice a week. I don't know if with finals I'll get the next chapter up before the end, **but if I get more than five reviews I guarantee to have the next chapter up in a week. **I hate to be a review whore, but it helps me keep going. I lose touch with a story if I don't think anyone likes it very much. So huge thanks go to all who have and will review!_


	20. Star Gazing

_Thanks to six wonderfully fabulous people there were more than five reviews. Thank you very much! As I promised, here is the next chapter within a week. Finals are fast approaching, but if I keep getting over five reviews I'll keep trying extra hard to update once a week. If by some miracle I get over ten, it's a guarantee!_

* * *

**Potter Residence**

**July-August 1976**

James, Sirius, and Mina sat on a large blanket on a hill within the rather large boundaries of the Potter estate. Probably due to some temporary loss of brain function, James' parents thought they could trust the three alone for the night while they went out for the evening. After spending the whole afternoon in the air with what should have been Quidditch play, but soon turned to practice just because James was like that, the three had decided a picnic supper under the stars would lovely.

"So I think if you just kept your broom a little…"

"Prongs!" Sirius shouted. "Please just shut it about the Quidditch! Practice doesn't start for close to two months from now. It's a game! Something you play _for fun_!"

"But I just noticed…"

"James!" Mina interrupted. "Write it down for your locker room training sessions."

"You just don't seem to understand the importance of what I'm trying to get at! If you could just keep your broom a little more in direct line with the sun…"

Mina groaned and dramatically flopped back on the blanket.

"Look, Prongs," Sirius said casually. "You've killed my girlfriend."

"Oi! I'm not dead yet!"

"Yeah, and next you'll be telling me you want to go for a walk."

"Sometimes I really don't understand you two." James looked at them as if they each had a second head.

"Sorry, mate, not much I can do about that." Sirius grinned and reached over to ruffle James' hair. James prevented him, but just ruffled his hair himself.

"So… Mina," James started.

"Yes, coz?"

"How are you?"

"Would you stop asking me that! Merlin, James, every hour you ask me that. You've got more accuracy than Big Ben."

"Sorry. But are you okay?"

"That's it! I'm calling you Ben from now on."

Sirius gave out a barking laugh while James frowned.

"Mina," James said deliberately.

"Yes, Ben?"

"How are you?"

"Arrrrgh!" Mina's voice raised nearly an octave. "I'm _fine_. I'm swell. Everything's groovy. Life's just beer and skittles."

"Really?"

"Yes." She no longer spoke jokingly. "I mean, I'm not at the exact top of my game—as you so graciously pointed out only a few thousand times this afternoon—but I'm doing better. I'm sorry for my earlier behaviour. I think everything was just sinking in and I didn't want to deal with it. Now, I just want to move on. Just forget everything."

"You want to forget your dad?"

"NO! No. That didn't come out right. I think things would have been easier if there was a funeral. I needed to remember the times when I didn't miss him. And I do remember, and I'm dealing with the emotions. So please stop asking me how I'm doing. I'm doing. Or as the French say, it goes."

"All right. I just wasn't sure. You seemed fine awful fast after being in that state of not fineness."

"Yeah, well, I'm a girl. Our emotional swings are a mystery even to us."

James yawned. "I think it's time to head inside and up to bed."

"You go on ahead," Sirius said.

James looked at him suspiciously. "All right. But whatever you two are going to be doing out here, I don't want to know. Ever!"

As James walked back to the house, Sirius laid back on the blanket next to Mina.

"Why didn't you say anything when James was badgering me about my 'state of fineness'?" she asked.

"Because I can't answer for you. So girls don't even know about why girls behave like they do?"

"I never said that. I said girls don't understand their mood swings. Why they change when they do, that sort of thing. The emotions themselves we can usually figure out."

"Unless you're completely thick."

"Right. Which I'm not, by the way."

"Of course."

"Sirius!"

He bent over and kissed her before lying back down.

"You can't see Sirius tonight. He's a winter star."

"Oh very droll."

"I'm a droll kind of guy."

"More like a troll kind of guy."

He ignored it. "So anything up there mean anything, o fabulous divination teacher's pet—who cheated in our betting pool!"

"What?"

"Fourth year, when we had the bet on how the Dark Arts teacher would be leaving. You won. You had to have used your clairvoyance to cheat."

"It's not cheating. It's a gift."

"Right! So anything out there?"

"Well…" Mina stared at the stars for a few minutes. "There." She pointed. "Look at Mars. I don't think the planet is supposed to be that bright. But it's really no big surprise."

"Why's that?"

"Mars is the Roman god of war. When the planet shines bright it means there's a war coming. I hate to say it, but it's already here, what with You-Know-Who and company."

"You don't need to tell me that."

"So I shouldn't point out that though we can't see Sirius, Regulus is right over there?"

"Nope."

"Okay then."

"Anything else?"

"You can't rush the Inner Eye! And why the sudden interest?"

"I'm using you so that I can impress old Mopsey. I haven't been his favourite since the crystal ball."

"Ah yes, your great curtain predictions!"

"Oi!"

"Are you even continuing divination?"

"If I get the scores I might. It's fun with you. You make most things less boring and more fun. So Professor of Defence Against the Boring Class, what else does this congregation of vapours tell you?"

She laughed then concentrated on the stars. "That's odd."

"What?"

"Look." She pointed again. "Just the arrangement of those stars, and the setting of that constellation over there. Something's wrong."

"What's wrong?" He now sounded concerned.

"I just get the feeling that the planets, the stars, the galaxies, they are all trying to warn me about something. I can't tell what it is. The time isn't right. They need more time to keep aligning, and then I'll know." She shivered and hugged her arms around herself.

"Hey, come here." Sirius helped her up and wrapped his arms around her. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Really?"

"Well, provided Prongs doesn't manage to get himself stuck in a window again, yeah."

"He what?"

"There we go. The smile's back. You're prettier when you smile."

"So I'm a hag the rest of the time?"

"I said _prettier_. _Errrrrrrr_."

"I'm just joshing you."

"That better be all it is. The last thing I need is some mental girlfriend who thinks I think she's ugly and fat."

"You think I'm fat?"

Mina couldn't stop laughing for the next minute at the look on his face.

"Let's go inside, Padfoot."

111111111111111111111111111111111111

"Ah, Mina," Mr. Potter said as she passed by his study. "I was just looking for you."

"Me, Uncle Chuck?"

He laughed at the nickname Mina had insisted on using. "Yes. I wanted to show you something."

She followed him into the study and noticed a large photo album on his desk. He motioned for her to look at it. She opened it and started to flip through the pages.

"Are these all of my mum?"

"Most of them. I may have included some embarrassing childhood pictures of James at the end." Mina then turned to the last page and looked like the proverbial cat with a canary. "Try not to humiliate him _too _much."

She could tell where James' personality came from.

"It's a promise." She flipped back to the beginning with her mother waving at the camera. "She was pretty."

"Incredibly, and you look just like her. I'm sorry, but you've inherited the infamous Potter hair."

"Thick, dark, and completely unmanageable?"

"Tragically so. But I want you to keep the album. I know it can't make up for what you never had, but…"

"Thank you, Uncle. It means a lot."

"Now get on with you before I become emotional."

"Yes, sir!"

111111111111111111111111111111111111

All too soon, it was the end of summer. The night before they were all to leave for London, the boys still hadn't done their packing. So Mina decided to pack Sirius' things while Mrs. Potter packed James' trunk.

"You know I can pack my own things," Sirius drawled while lying on his stomach on the bed, his arms propping up his head.

"But have you?"

"So I just have to sit back and let you do it?"

A pair of his pants (_British English: pants are underpants only; what Americans call pants are called trousers_) hit him on the head.

"And you're touching my pants!"

"So? I've been helping Aunt Dora with the laundry all summer. She's shown me some great spells to try later, ways to clean without enslaving a house elf. So this isn't the first time I've touched your pants."

"And I just came in at a really bad time," James said standing in the doorway.

"At least it's only your mum doing your packing and not your girlfriend," Sirius said back.

"So you two really are boyfriend, girlfriend, the whole courting thing?"

"Courting?" Mina raised an eyebrow.

"Merlin, Prongs! We have to get you a dictionary."

"Thanks, Pads."

"But you've already had your birthday so I'll wait until Christmas, if you don't mind."

"So are you two really together?"

They both looked at each other. Sirius answered. "Yes. Mina is the only one I snog from now until the day flying piglets play cricket in Slughorn's best brandy."

"No, that's when Lily is going to start dating James," Mina said. "We want that to happen."

"Oh, then until Voldemort decides to host a benefit polka competition for orphans in New Guinea. Is that better?"

"Much." She leaned over the open trunk on the bed and kissed him.

"Okay," James said while covering his eyes with one hand. "I'm still here, and she's still family."

"And I would have thought you'd have done you own packing, Prongs," Sirius said.

"Why's that?"

"Aren't you dying from not seeing your one true love? And with those OWLs I thought you'd be packed last week in anticipation of impressing her with your fine wit and astonishing intelligence."

"You may have a point there, Padfoot." He was getting a definite James-Potter-up-to-something look.

"Oh no," Mina put in before he could think of anything. "The thing she hates most is arrogance. If you just start bragging to no end, writing sonnets to your own brilliance, you are sealing the last bricks of the wall between you. You need to keep silent about the test scores. Don't say anything, but don't seem like you're not saying anything. Play it cool. If the subject comes up, don't volunteer information, but if asked answer honestly and modestly. You do know the meaning of modesty, right?"

"Um… it's not doing pastoral jigs in the nude."

Mina hit her head a few times against the trunk while Sirius laughed.

"You have to admit, Mina, that is a correct definition."

"Yes, modesty is not baring all your flesh to the public. But it also involves self-control and humility."

"Both at once?" James looked frightened.

"James, dearest cousin of mine…"

"Only cousin of yours," Sirius interrupted.

"In this country. James, it's like not showing all your skin, yes. It's also like not showing all your cards in poker. Everyone knows you've got something, but you don't go singing to the hills what you've got. Am I making any sense, or am I repeating some horribly frightening and confusing ideas?"

"So I don't boast, just state simply when asked. Showing my openers, but not the whole full house."

"Exactly!" Mina said happily.

"Or in some cases, your royal flash."

"Sirius!"

"You two were the ones talking about nudity!"

"And I'm going to leave before this goes any further," James said while hurrying from the room.

"You're terrible," Mina said without much sincerity.

"So, with all of this humble modesty inspired in my dear friend James, what about us?"

"You mean how are we going to break the news about us?"

"Yeah."

"I thought we'd wait until after the feast. Let Lily get comfortable, thinking everything's normal, and then in the common room…"

"Start snogging like there's no tomorrow?"

"Okay. That works. Plus, we don't nauseate James on the train. We'll save that for the trip home."

"Have I mentioned how much I love the way your mind works?"

"No. You might have to show me."

"Stop that," James said passing past the door.

* * *

_And so summer is done. But trust me, school is going to be hilarious! The wooing of one Lily Evans by one James Potter with the help of the ever snogging Sirius and Mina. I think Sally and Remus will be the only sane ones in the group. **I am still looking for ideas about James/Lily. If you'd like to see them in this story, review and let me know.**_

_Thank you so much to _Lady Saffron of the Daggers_ for the ideas. I've now got some truly funny scenarios running around in my head. And thanks always to _LadyAnalyn_. I can't thank you enough for your efforts in recommending my story. If any reader likes Sirius/Remus shipping, then please read her works. She's even funnier than I am at times._

_So in conclusion:_

_**5 reviews**—I'll try to keep updating once a week. But with my school work I can't promise it._

_**10 reviews**—Too many to disappoint, I guarantee an update once a week, school be damned!_

_Thank you to all who review, and too all who read this! You make my life brighter._


	21. Sixth Year Begins

_I deeply apologise for not updating. Between moving, looking for work, not finding work, and some serious writer's block and other distractions, I haven't been able to work on this. I will continue it, and I will be working with the ideas some of you have generously suggested. Thank you so much for sticking with me._

* * *

September 1976

Hogwarts Express

"Do you see her?"

Sally turned around on the platform to find Lily twisting round and round searching the crowd.

"See who?"

"Mina."

"No. I expect she'll be here soon. Let's go get a compartment."

Lily reluctantly let herself be dragged from the platform and onto the train. They found a compartment and waited. A few minutes later Mina came bursting in.

"Hi girls! How was your summer? Did you go anywhere special? How horrible was Petunia this summer? I hope not too bad. Were things terribly awkward at home? What with the _neighbours_ and everything for you. Sally, how was visiting your brother in America? Are you still planning on leaving for there after Hogwarts? I may have to stop by one day. I mean, there's family there and all that, and I'm going to have to see them one day."

"Wow," Sally said.

"What?" Mina asked.

"Apparently this summer you've been expanding your total lung capacity."

"What?"

"And you're repeating yourself. But I've never known you to carry on that many words without taking a breath before."

"Sorry."

"How are you?" Lily asked. "Are you all right? Is everything fine?"

Mina blinked as she stared at Lily.

"What?" the redhead asked.

"You just reminded me of someone else who hasn't stopped asking me that question all summer."

"Who?"

"Oh… just someone. So did you get all Oustandings or was there one Exceeds Expectations?"

The rest of the journey was then focussed on OWLs and their new class choices, with Mina dodging all questions of where she spent her summer. But Lily's curiosity could not be contained forever. It was only avoided during the feast due to Mina's smiling whenever Sirius looked down the table at her.

"You talked to him?" Lily asked, the question of when and how hanging unsaid.

"Yeah, we got it all cleared up," Mina answered, ignoring the unvoiced questions.

When they reached the common room, the Marauders were loitering by the sofa, three confused that Sirius didn't want to immediately go up to the dormitory. Mina also surprised Lily and Sally by walking straight to Sirius rather than the stairs. Except in the case of one James Potter, the confusion mounted when Sirius and Mina started kissing.

While mouths dropped to the floor and James started playing with his glasses, the couple parted.

"Missed you," Sirius said.

"We've not seen each other in, what? Nine hours? And not even that as you spent the whole feast staring at me."

"Not the whole feast!"

"Goodnight, Padfoot. I'll see you in class."

"What about breakfast?"

"Fine. Goodnight."

She then walked up the staircase. Lily recovered from her shock, grabbed Sally's hand, and tore up the staircase after Mina. James grabbed Sirius and dragged him up to their room with Remus and Peter only a few steps behind.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

Lily paced the room while Mina dressed for bed. Christine and Mary had not yet come up to the dormitory. Sally began the interrogation.

"What was all that about down stairs? Did you think we needed proof that you fixed things with the Marauders? Because that is what we like to call overkill."

"No, that was not proof. That was just saying goodnight to my boyfriend."

"YOUR WHAT?" Lily screamed.

"Boyfriend," Mina said calmly.

"How… how… how?" Sally asked.

"He moved in with the Potters this summer."

"Oh," Sally started, then it processed. "Wait. What? What do the Potters have to do with this?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Mina feigned pure innocence. "James is my cousin."

"WHAT?" Lily once again stopped pacing only to scream again.

"On my mother's side. My mother's brother is his father. I had no idea until this summer."

"Let me get this straight," Sally said while rubbing her head. "You spent the entire summer with James Potter, who apparently is your long lost cousin, and Sirius Black, your newfound boyfriend."

"Technically speaking I was the long lost cousin, but yes that sounds about right."

"Anything else we need to know?"

"Aside from the newest Doctor Who coming in just a few more days?"

"Yeah, aside from that."

"James is a bigger dunce than we thought."

"Why's that?" Sally asked.

"There needs to be a reason?" Lily asked.

"Apparently he's had a picture of my mum on the parlour mantel since he can remember."

"Go on," Sally said.

"Well, she and I look almost exactly alike. Five years and he never figured it out."

"It's because he only has eyes for Lily," Sally said with an added feigned sigh at the end.

Lily hit Sally's head with a pillow. "I'd rather think it was a need for stronger glasses."

Mina and Sally looked at each other and said together, "Nah!"

"He's been blinded by love," Sally said.

"Definitely love," Mina agreed.

The ensuing Battle of the Pillows was only prevented from becoming the Great Pillow War of 1976 due to the timely entrance of Christine and Mary.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

"Do you too want to explain what just happened?" Remus asked when the dormitory door was shut.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"You kissed Collins."

"He kisses lots of girls," Peter said, obviously not as upset or confused by the previous display.

"Not Collins though," Remus insisted.

"Mina's my girlfriend. Am I not allowed to kiss my girlfriend?"

"See, there's where the root of the problem lies. She's suddenly your girlfriend. Last I saw you two weren't even speaking to each other. And then she left early, so I don't see how you would have… wait, wait, did you just say Mina?"

"That's her name, isn't it? Why is everyone so amazed that I know her name?" Sirius sent a rather pointed look at James, and then turned to Peter. "Are you going to ask me as well?"

"Nope, I'm speechless with amazement," Peter said with a snicker.

"Seeing as how you've never used her name before," Remus continued, "it's a bit of a shock to hear you use it now."

"Well, if she's my girlfriend I shouldn't call her by her last name. Are you going to help me out or not, Prongsie?"

James finished pulling his nightshirt over his head and readjusted his glasses. "You're on your own with this one, Pads."

"Begin with how she's your girlfriend," Remus said.

"Fine. I spent the summer with Prongs. She was also there."

"What? Why?"

"She's Prongs' cousin."

Peter spewed out the water he was drinking, and naturally the spit spilled over James' bed and the James sprawled on said bed.

"Wormtail!" James yelled before angrily taking off his glasses and wiping them dry. "Thanks, mate," he added sarcastically.

"Sorry, but Collins, Mina Collins, is your cousin?" Peter's eyes were wide.

Remus was doing a very good dead fish impersonation—bulging eyes and open mouth. "Mina is…" He couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Now will you help me, Prongs?" Sirius asked.

"Mina's mother was my dad's sister. My dad and hers didn't get along, so there's been no contact between them ever. Believe me, it was a shock for me too. I've just had all summer to cope with it."

"So why was she staying with you? Why did she leave early?" Peter asked.

"Her dad died just before the OWLs. We're the only family she has left in England, so she moved in a few days after I got home."

"And then you, Padfoot, spent part of the summer there with them," Remus guessed.

"Yeah, and I'm not sure how it happened, but we are now boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I know how. You slept together, that's how," James muttered, but everyone heard clearly what he said.

"What?" Remus yelled.

"Way to go!" Peter cheered.

"It wasn't like that!" Sirius protested angrily. "We fell asleep in the same bed. Nothing happened."

"There's a change," Peter muttered.

"What am I?" Sirius demanded. "Some sort of man whore?"

"Yes," the other three chorused.

"But treat Mina like the previous girls and you are going to learn a new definition for the word 'pain,'" James warned.

"I think James speaks for all of us," Remus added. Peter nodded.

"Oi! I'm a one woman guy now," Sirius protested.

"I think we need to make sure he remembers that," James said, getting a Marauder glint in his eyes.

The Second Battle of the Pillows ended sometime after midnight, but not before rendering two bed curtains, one sheet, seven socks, James' glasses, and several pillows casualties of war.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

Mina and Sally sat eating breakfast the next morning when the Marauders joined them. Lily had decided to sit with Mary at the other end of the table, still not able to fully except the new relationship between Mina and Sirius.

"Er, Prongs," Mina said. "Your glasses are missing from your face."

"Don't ask," he mumbled.

"Wasn't gonna," she said with a grin.

"How is the most beautiful and wondrous goddess of Hogwarts this morning?" Sirius asked as he sat next to Mina and kissed her cheek.

"I don't know," Mina said. "I haven't seen her."

Remus snorted as he took the seat across from her. "I'd ask how your summer went, but Padfoot and Prongs beat you to it."

"Uh huh. Did they leave in the bit about tying me to a stake and performing Satanic dances in the nude in front of me."

"No, they left that out." Remus looked horrified.

"Ok, cause that never happened; I just made it up now."

Sirius and James laughed while Remus moaned. "Don't do that, Mina! You nearly gave me a coronary."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." She turned back to James. "Are you sure that I can't ask why…"

"I've written Mum to send me my spare pair. Just leave it at that."

"Are you going to be able to see in class?"

"I don't think he's ever paid enough attention to _need_ to see in class," Remus said.

James grumbled at his eggs while everyone else laughed.

"Even if he did pay attention," Sally said, "he still wouldn't see anything. He only has eyes for a certain red-haired person."

As Mina was doubled over in a fit of giggles, and Sally smirking, the boys looked confused.

"That made sense, but I still feel like I'm missing something," Remus said.

"Five years and Prongs never noticed I look just like his aunt," Mina said.

"Oi! It's not my fault I didn't pay any attention to the photo. She's been dead for years."

Silence fell like a blanket on the group as Mina abruptly got up from the table and walked out of the hall.

"James, you idiot!" Remus scolded.

Sally looked at Sirius and he stared back. "Someone should…" she started. Sirius nodded and went after Mina.

"You can apologise later," Sally told James as she got up and went down to Lily.

"Did something bad just happen?" Peter asked.

* * *

_Yes, Peter, something bad did just happen, but not anything too serious. As always, please review._

_And if anyone was wondering what possibly could have distracted me, PBS was showing the BBC's new Jane Austen movies and I read Persuasion and Jane Eyre for summer homework. Then there's the new Doctor Who series, but it should be ending in three weeks. I'll try to not get anymore distracted._


	22. The Games Begin

_This chapter is shorter than usual, but then next will make up for that._

* * *

**September 1976**

**Hogwarts**

"Mina!" Sirius called as he ran down the corridor towards her. "Mina, wait!"

She stopped and when he reached her he grabbed her hand just to make sure she wouldn't get away again.

"Mina, he didn't mean it. He just wasn't thinking."

She didn't respond, but she didn't pull away. Taking this as a relatively good sign, Sirius began walking with her to their first class.

"So what's our first prank?" he asked while taking a seat next to her.

"That's between you and Prongs. Any pranks I pull are going to be solo."

"You aren't… you aren't planning anything too harsh against old Prongsie?"

"No. I'm not mad at him. It's just… this still isn't easy."

"You seem just like the same old Mina."

"I'm a very good actress."

Class started, interrupting their conversation. After class they had a free period and returned to the Common Room with Remus and Sally.

"You know, Sirius," Mina began, "I think I do have an idea for a prank on James."

"Really?" he perked up.

"You've really corrupted her, haven't you?" Remus said.

"You can't corrupt something already rotten," Sally said with a grin.

"It's not so much a prank as a series of pranks." She paused dramatically. "We're going to get James and Lily together."

"What?"

"No way!"

"How?"

"I've got a plan… well, half a plan. The only problem is that Lily thinks James is really immature."

"And she's right," Remus said.

"Come on, Moony," Sally argued. "You know that's not _completely_ true."

"No," Mina agreed. "He is a little better now."

"But not enough," Sirius said.

"That's what we are going to change," Mina said.

"Is that even possible, though?" Sally asked. "Her opinion of him is pretty fixed."

"So there's two parts to my plan."

"Two parts to _half_ a plan," Remus muttered.

"One part is making it look like Prongs is more mature, and the other is getting Lily to lighten up and accept that we are just teenagers and are supposed to be a little immature."

"So what's your plan of attack, general?" Sirius asked.

"We talk to James, you boys especially. If we have to, make him look on it like some big acting role. If he pretends long enough some of it is bound to stick. Also, Moony can point out to her a few things here and there that would impress her."

"Wait, what?" Remus asked.

"You talk to her more than Padfoot. She trusts you. Every now and then just mention a prank Padfoot suggests but Prongs refuses. Turn all the pranking blame on Padfoot."

"Oi!" Sirius protested.

"Well, you don't have to worry about impressing me," Mina replied. "You can be blamed with relatively little punishment."

"It's the relatively little that worries me."

"All it will involve is Lily's anger. I think you can live."

"Only if she's not _too_ angry."

"Then I'm here to take you to the Hospital Wing."

"Oh, that's _very_ comforting," he said sarcastically.

"I'll kiss it better."

"I'm in."

The other two rolled their eyes.

"But what if Lily finds out it's an act?" Sally asked. "Won't that confuse what's real and what's pretend, leaving a bigger mess than we start with?"

"Okay, we leave James out," Mina said.

"So what about the second part of your partial plan?" Remus asked.

"That will be up to me and Sally. We'll talk her down."

"So general secret female craftiness that can't be mentioned in front of the opposite sex?" Sally asked. "I'm in."

"I guess I am as well," Remus said.

"But this is all good for a change of view," Sally said. "What if they are like you two and take forever to see that they are perfect together?"

"You thought these two would get together?" Remus asked her.

"I knew they be great if they did. I just didn't think they'd ever get to that point."

"We'll think of something," Mina said, a hint of irritation in her voice. "And what worked for us might with them."

"What do you mean?" Sally asked.

"Just getting thrown together a lot."

"Oh, this is going to be fun!" Sirius rubbed his hands together.

"Not literally," Remus warned him.

"Why not?" Sally asked Remus.

"Let the games begin," Mina said.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

"Is there something I should know about?" Lily asked at lunch.

"Why would you think that?" Sally asked her.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling something is up."

"It's probably just your imagination. Or the fact that Mina is now spending a lot of time with the Marauders." They both looked down at the other end of the table as another round of loud laughter broke out.

"That might be it. They're probably just cooking up some dumb prank together."

"Probably," Sally said casually.

"I thought they would have done something by now."

"Is it me, or does Lily Evans sound disappointed that there isn't their usual mischief afoot?"

"No! I'm not disappointed. Just anxious at how much damage it's going to cause when they get around to it."

"I have no idea when the next prank is going to hit. From what Mina says they are having problems agreeing on what to do."

"Has Remus finally got some control over them?"

"No, James."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, Mina says that Sirius keeps coming up with all these crazy ideas, really spectacular stuff, but James keeps saying no. Apparently he just wants to do something small but very clever."

"We are talking about _James Potter_?"

"Yeah."

"You're joshing me."

"Nope. Just saying what Mina told me. Maybe she's the one keeping them in line."

"Mina? Now you've really lost it, Sally. She'd be encouraging them."

"Then maybe what she says about James is true. He's pretty much the ring leader."

"No, something is up. I know it."

111111111111111111111111111111111111

James sat with Sirius playing wizard chess. Peter had gone to the kitchens for a late night snack, and Mina and Remus were working on an essay for Transfiguration.

"All right, guys… and lady. Something is up."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked as his knight slashed one of James' pawns.

"I don't know. But I have this feeling that something is going on that I should know about."

"Like what?" Remus asked, his eyes never leaving the parchment.

"If I had any idea I wouldn't be asking!"

"There was a question in there?" Mina asked.

"Sounded more like a couple of statements," Sirius said.

"But fishing statements," Remus added.

"The only thing fishy is what I don't know!" James shouted. He glared at a few of the first years who looked over. They turned away quickly.

"There's nothing you don't know," Sirius said calmly.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Remus said. "There are plenty of things that James doesn't know."

"Like the boiling temperature of water," Mina suggested.

"How to knit a sweater," Sirius said.

"The speed at which the earth rotates around the sun," Remus said.

"Not to mention the speed of the earth's rotation on its own axis," Mina said.

"That he's in check," Sirius said.

"And that it's actually checkmate," Remus added.

"Or where chess was invented," Mina said.

"Or the capital of Canada," said Sirius.

"Does anyone know that?" Mina asked.

"Sure. Canadians."

"Oh yeah, I guess they would."

"Stop it!" James was now glaring at them. He got up. "I will not tolerate this childishness any longer. I'm going to bed."

Across the room a pair of green eyes watched him go up the boys' stairs.

* * *

_Stay tuned for the coming Halloween mischief. I had to go back and read this whole story again to break my writer's block, but I think I have some great ideas coming. Review and let me know you still want more.  
_


	23. Halloween

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of Rowling's characters. In fact, most names and backgrounds do not belong to me but various other companies and affiliates. Also, the costumes and some of the events with the Marauders come straight from the Shoebox Project. This is a homage to their brilliance. No infringement is intended._

* * *

October 1976

Hogwarts

"Did you hear, Mina?"

"Hear what, Padfoot?"

"Dumbledore is allowing costumes again this year."

"So what costume have you planned?"

"I can't tell you that. James and I are keeping them a surprise!"

"Then I won't tell you mine either."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

"Yes I do."

"Then what is it?"

"I just said I wasn't going to tell you."

"Cruelty thy name is woman."

"Oi! Who wouldn't tell who about their costume?"

"Who wouldn't tell _whom_, I believe it is."

Just then the door opened and Remus was staring at them. "Normally the point of hiding in a broom closet is to not get caught snogging. It's not usually for holding a row after curfew… especially a loud, very audible through the door row."

"Moony, my old chum!" Sirius said brightly, ignoring his friend's words. "I think you should give Mina detention until she tells me what her Halloween costume is going to be."

"_You_ won't tell _me_ what _yours_ is!" Mina argued.

Remus put a hand to his forehead. "Out! Both of you. And five points from Gryffindor for giving me a headache."

"But Moony!" Sirius whined.

"I should be giving you detention, but I won't."

"Really?" Mina asked.

"Yes… due to improper use of a broom closet after hours."

"I thought you'd _give _detention for that."

"Mina, stop arguing and just go!"

"You're a good man, Moony," Sirius said as he slapped him on the shoulder and left with Mina.

"Why me?"

111111111111111111111111111111111111

"Er, Prongs?"

James looked up from his table in the common room. Sirius and Peter were standing there, staring at him.

"What?"

"You're reading," Peter said as if that explained everything.

"So? I can't read?"

"That was under some debate for a time," Sirius said as he sat down and lounged in a chair, "but it was concluded that you could manage some picture books. Have you moved on to that epitome of the English language, the graphic novel?"

"Oh very droll!"

"Did he just use the word droll?" Peter asked. "Are you really James?"

"It could be Moony," Sirius said. "You haven't been dabbling in illegally brewed polyjuice, have you, Moony?"

"No, Padfoot!" James said angrily. "I'm James! One hundred percent Prongsie here."

"Then what's with the book?"

"I was reading."

"Uh huh. Oi! Evans!" Sirius shouted across the room at the red-headed prefect.

"What?" she yelled back.

"Come 'ere."

"What do you want, Black?" she asked angrily as she came over.

"Is this James or Remus?" He pointed to the four-eyed guy across from him.

"Are you drunk, Black?" she asked.

"He's reading! That is a decidedly Moony thing, not a Prongs thing. I'm making sure this isn't Moony with some polyjuice."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. Potter, what are you doing during this weekend's Hogsmeade trip?"

"I'm taking you out on a date," he said confidently.

"Sorry, I already have other plans."

"All right, but I thought we'd leave the snogging in a broom closet for a third or fourth date."

"In your dreams, Potter." She turned to Sirius. "If that isn't enough proof of identity then just wait an hour."

"Thank you, Evans," Sirius said with a wink.

Lily gave a large angry sigh before returning to her seat. Once her back was to the boys a smile crossed her face before she was able to suppress it. Mina then came into the common room and sat with the three Marauders.

"How was Muggle Studies?" James asked.

Mina stared at him with her face slightly scrunched. "Is that an open book?" she asked Peter. He nodded. "And was it me, or did he ask me about Muggle Studies without pointing out in words or tone that he thinks it's a cop out class?" Sirius and Peter both sounded an agreement.

Mina then looked around the room. "Lily!" she shouted.

"What now?" Lily scowled as she turned around.

"Is this really Moony disguised as James?"

"No! I already tested it for your boyfriend!"

"Thank you!" Mina shouted as Lily got up and left through the portrait hole. Mina then looked at James like a scientist might look at an unusual mutation of bacteria.

"Would you stop that?" James demanded. "If anyone had asked what the book is, then I would have told you that it contains a rather splendid spell perfect for pranking modification."

"Oh!" There was a general sigh of relief at the table.

"You had us worried, Prongs," Sirius said, wiping nonexistent sweat from his brow.

"But that polyjuice sounds like an idea." James had that planning look in his eye.

"Sure, if you want to get thrown out of school and lose all hope of securing the admiration of one Lily Evans," Mina said.

"Spoil sport," Sirius said. "What's your costume going to be?"

"I'm not telling you until you tell me yours," she threw back. "So Prongs, my bestest cousin…"

"I'm not telling you either," he said. "And I'm your _only_ cousin."

"In _this_ country. Will you at least describe this prank you had to go to a book for?"

"Certainly. How does filling all the floating pumpkins with sealed dung bombs, and then exploding them over everyone at the end of the feast?"

"I don't know how it sounds, but it smells disgusting," she said.

"Then what would you suggest?" James asked.

"Filling them with candy and confetti."

"Instead of confetti we could have rude Halloween cards and fortunes," Sirius added.

"Like Snivellus gets one that says he will be greasy in the coming future?" Peter put in.

"Or to beware of unwashed pants," James laughed cruelly.

"See? And all this without making me suffer the stench of dung," Mina said.

"Couldn't we use just a little?" Peter asked. "Just over the Slytherin table?"

"How about a scentless goo?" Sirius asked. "Because the last thing we want is anyone throwing up after the feast from the smell. All that house elf work gone to waste… it would be a terrible crime."

"Talk to Sally about the goo," Mina said. "She's come up with some great stuff from some of my failed potions over the years."

"She's kept record of your failed potions?" James asked incredulously.

"Only the ones that might be useful later. Apparently I've invented quite a few useful potions. One will even be used for my costume."

"Really?" Sirius asked. "What's it do?"

"What are you going as?"

"I'm not telling."

"Then neither will I."

"Is it me, or do they keep repeating the same argument?" Peter asked James.

"You aren't wrong, Wormtail. They seem to be stuck in a temporal loop."

"Did Prongs just use the words 'temporal loop?'" Sirius asked.

"You haven't by any chance finally convinced him to watch Doctor Who, have you?" Mina asked back.

"No."

"Will you two stop that?"

111111111111111111111111111111111111

Halloween finally came, and the girls were finishing their costumes. This year, due to Sally's insistence, they had decided to all dress with a common theme. Since all three had practically grown up as muggles, they chose different characters from a common favourite muggle movie.

Mina smudged on the last of the potion on her hands and took another look to make sure she hadn't missed anything on her face. Lily was fiddling with her hat and curls again. Sally just watched, having the simple costume of a dress and two braids.

"Explain to me again why I have to wear this ridiculous dress," Lily demanded. "And why Sally barely has to do anything for her costume."

"Because you lost at scissors paper stone," Sally answered. "And Mina wanted didn't want it."

"Why not?" Lily asked Mina, frowning at her now green skin.

"This is a dream come true for me!" Mina was grinning like mad. "I'm finally the Wicked Witch of the West! Are you sure you don't want to borrow Mr. Edgar for Toto, Sally?"

"As much as your toad looks like a dog, I think I'll just stick with my cat, thank you. I could use that stuffed dog of yours though."

"Nope, the dog's off limits."

"All right, please yourself."

Lily again fidgeted with the giant puffed pink sleeves and the enormous skirt. "I'd still rather be Dorothy."

"Yes, but you already have Glinda's red hair, so shut it already," Sally snapped.

"Think of it as a defence system against James," Mina suggested.

"How do you mean?" Lily asked, intrigued.

"He can't come within three feet of you in that skirt."

Lily brightened considerably.

"And you look gorgeous, so it's going to be twice as tempting and twice as not happening," Sally added.

"So despite being the good witch, you get to be very evil," Mina said.

"All right, I surrender," Lily said. "I like the dress after all."

"Good, shall we go?" Mina asked as she put her hat on.

Between Mina's green skin and Lily's bubble of a gown, the girls got quite a few stares as they went down to breakfast. Unfortunately for Lily, the only spot at the table where she could fit her dress was right next to the Marauders.

"Where's the yellow brick road, Sally?" Sirius asked.

James was just staring at Lily, his mouth open. Remus stuffed a napkin in to prevent any drool coming out. James glared at him as he pulled it out and took a big swig of pumpkin juice.

"Do we have to sit here?" Lily whined.

"Yes," Mina said as she elbowed her boyfriend and kicked her cousin… who appeared to be dressed as McGonagall and Dumbledore respectively. "With that skirt you couldn't very well step over the bench. You need an end corner. That is the only end available. At least you don't have to worry about a cross dressing boyfriend."

"He's worrying more about his girlfriend suddenly having Slytherin green skin," James said, frowning at the offending colour.

"Hey!" Peter said. "That's the same colour you and Padfoot turned from that potion that exploded in second year."

"Is it?" Sirius was carefully scrutinizing her face and hands. "Hey! It is."

"Er, well, yes," Mina said, suddenly interested in the loose thread of her sleeve. "That _might_ have been due to my dropping a few newt eyes in your cauldron."

"She also turned this old wedding dress pink," Lily added, trying to redirect everyone's attention away from Mina. But it only made it worse.

"Temporarily pink?" Remus asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Lily!" Mina cried, looking much like her toad with her green skin and wide eyes.

"What? What did I say?"

"So are you saying," James said slowly, still thinking things through. "Are you saying that it was Mina who pulled all of those pranks we could never explain? The week of disasters in second year? The week in fourth year after the huge fight between the now love birds? The potion disasters, the spontaneous combustion, the drinks at meal times?"

"The banana peels?" Peter went on. "The pies in the corridor?"

"The missing and reappearing books?" Remus continued for him. "The _pink cardigans_?"

"Er… yes," Mina said very quietly.

"Wow!" Sally said giving a whistle. "I'm impressed."

"Not to mention getting them back with the jelly leg jinx," Lily added.

"Lily! You're _really_ not helping," Mina said.

"It looks like Sally writing down all those potions for you has back fired, Mina," Sirius said, a huge grin on his face.

"When they come to get their revenge I'm hiding behind you," Mina said.

"Oi! What about my revenge for all that stuff second year? I may have earned my way out of the fourth year ones, but it wasn't easy being green back then!"

About to argue back, Mina suddenly burst out laughing. Having picked up on it as well, Sally was also doubled over in mirth.

"What?" Sirius asked the others.

Lily rolled her eyes. "It's best if you don't ask, Kermit."

"Huh?"

"So Remus, who are you supposed to be?" Lily asked. He was wearing a toga fashioned out of what looked to be an old bed sheet.

"I can't say until these clowns guess," he said with a tired sigh.

"Me when I'm drunk?" Sirius tried. "I've done some pretty arse—"

"No."

"Euclid?" Mina suggested.

"He didn't wear a toga," James said. "He just said 'eureka' a lot."

"How do you know that?" Lily asked, trying not to be impressed.

"Padfoot tried it earlier," he said, amazed that Lily directed a civil question to him.

"Well, at least old Pete won't cause us all headaches from over thinking," Sally said.

No one was sure if Peter was smiling or not, as the sheet just had eye holes.

"Just think," Sally went on. "If you let the sheet gather hair or grow mould, next year you can be Cousin It."

"That's disgusting," Mina said. She turned to Sirius and James. "And just what possessed you two to dress up as our Head of House and Headmaster? Have they seen you yet?"

"Not yet," they said together, the Marauder glint in their eyes.

"Oh no," Lily moaned.

"Anyone want to take a bet on how many house points we're going to lose when McGonagall sees them?" Sally asked.

"Thank the heavens we don't have Transfiguration today," Remus said.

"Oh!" Mina shouted. "I know who you are now."

"Don't tell me!" Sirius said. "I want to guess."

"Fine." With a hand she covered the side of her face from him and mouthed the name. Remus nodded with a wide grin. "Woohoo! Go me!"

"Show off," Sirius mumbled.

111111111111111111111111111111111111

Later that day, Sally and Mina passed the Great Hall before the feast.

"Er… Sally."

"Yes, your wickedness?"

"Am I seeing things, or are we at negative twelve million points?"

Sally looked. Her jaw dropped.

"No, no. You aren't seeing things."

On the way to the common room they saw Kingsley.

"Uh, Kingsley?" Mina asked. "Any idea how we lost twelve million points?"

He laughed. Really it sounded more like a low rumble, but it was Kingsley's laugh. "Black and Potter."

"I'd say, 'Say no more,' but I've got to hear about this," Sally said.

"You saw their costumes?" The girls nodded. "When the real teachers saw their costumed counterparts it was in the middle of a… not quite appropriate conversation."

"Oh Merlin, don't tell me they were making more inappropriate, slightly lecherous, inter-staff relationship remarks," Mina groaned. "Specifically about old McGoogles and Dumbledore?"

Again, Kingsley rumbled. "And that's not all. When they were caught they put on a bit of a floor show."

"More of Sirius declaring his undying love for McGonagall?" Sally guessed.

"And James being just as theatrically awash in pain and suffering from unrequited love for _his_ look-a-like, just to not be upstaged?" Mina added with a hope that she was wrong.

More rumbling. "It ended with Potter on his knees and Black kissing Professor McGonagall again. After that they ran while she took twelve million points from Gryffindor."

"Let's just hope it only took because it's a Halloween prank and we'll have the points back tomorrow," Sally said. As they left Kingsley, Sally turned to Mina. "It's a good thing that you aren't a jealous woman. What was Remus' costume?"

"Aristotle."

"Should have known."

* * *

_The plot against Lily and James will pick up soon. Please review!_


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